A Second Childhood
by ATPD
Summary: Ed is kidnapped and has been transformed back to his five-year-old self. When faced with the reality that there isn't a way to turn him back, while also trying to protect the child from his enemies, Roy takes the brothers in and gives them a home. Based on Brotherhood/Manga, follows the canon story, but with major differences. Parental Roy and Auntie Riza. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**So... I got this idea yesterday and just went along with it and decided to post it now because it's pretty apparent to me that this is most definitely going to be a multi-chapter fic.**

**I don't know how often I'll update, but most likely it's at least once a week.**

**And for those who have read any of my other stories, there will not be as much violence as usual (but probably some, which is why I went with T as the rating just to be sure, also because of swearing. This is not a Torture!fic.)**

**I hope you'll enjoy this!**

* * *

Ed kicked the office door open as usual. "What's it now, Colonel?"

"Ah, Fullmetal, we have got a new case. Sit down."

Ed plumped down into the seat in front of the desk. "What is it?"

"Central has been searching for an alchemist that we now believe to have come to East City. They have been kidnapping and experimenting on children of ages four to eighteen. None of the twenty children that have been found were alive. They had obviously been part of some sort of biological transmutation that went horribly wrong."

"And now that they're in East, you want me to be bait, is that it?"

"No. I want you stay at the military barracks until they have been found."

"What?! You're protecting me? Why?"

"Because I think that this person may be targeting you directly."

"How?"

"Each of the victims have either been blondes or have been automail users. Also, at the time of their disappearances, they were all wearing red. This began after you appeared in the newspapers five months ago."

"But what do they want with me?"

"I don't know, but you are not to leave this place without an escort of at least two soldiers, is that understood?"

"Fine, whatever."

"Havoc and Breda will follow you to the barracks, I've already had Hawkeye phone Alphonse at the hotel, and he'll be coming in about twenty minutes."

"Fine. Is that it?"

"Yes, Fullmetal, you're free to leave."

Ed stood up and stomped over to the door. This was stupid. He didn't need a babysitter, he could look after himself, couldn't he? He was a damn State Alchemist and had been so for two-and-a-half years now, he had proven his worth plenty of times!

"Hey, Chief, ready to go?" Havoc asked, rising from behind his desk.

"Come on, Havoc! You can't believe that this is necessary, can you?"

Havoc put a hand on his shoulder. "Better safe than sorry, Chief."

"Let's just go," Ed growled.

He walked quickly, trying to throw Havoc and Breda off his back, but the problem was that even though Breda may be a bit pudgy and lagged behind, Havoc was fit and kept up with him easily.

"This is why the Boss sent two of us. He knew that you'd try and shake us," Havoc said. "Just take it slow, Ed, he only wants to keep his team safe."

"Yeah, but he's not keeping me safe, he's fucking grounding me!"

Havoc sighed and they soon reached the front doors and were walking along the five-minute stretch over to the barracks.

Ed turned around, glaring at Havoc. "You see, Havoc?! Everything's fine! I don't need a fucking – ouch."

Ed slapped his left hand against his neck, trying to smack the wasp that had obviously just stung him. What he found instead was a small blowdart.

_Ah, shit._

Havoc was immediately alert, pointing his gun at the direction of where the blowdart had come from, shooting at a tree twice while grabbing Ed under the elbow and dragging him along back towards the safety of East HQ. "Shit. Come on, Chief, we're getting you out of here. Breda! We're under attack!" Havoc shouted to the red-head that had just come jogging towards them. He immediately pulled out his gun.

Ed was getting tired. He stumbled slightly, and then the ground beneath them crumbled. Ed fell along with Havoc and he could hear multiple shots and voices shouting somewhere above him. He had fallen into a deep pit and Havoc was slapping his cheek, trying to keep him awake, but Ed's eyelids were just too heavy and soon everything turned dark.

* * *

Ed's head was buzzing slightly, his mind foggy.

"Ah, you're waking up are you? Good!" It was a woman's voice.

Ed opened his eyes slowly, looking dazedly around the room. He was in some sort of derelict operating theatre. "What's going on? Where am I?"

"You, Edward, are a very lucky boy," the woman said as she sat down on a chair in front of him. She was in her twenties and had a motherly look upon her face. Behind her was a man. He too, was smiling fondly.

"Funny, I don't feel so lucky right now," Ed said, slurring slightly.

"Oh, Edward, then I'm going to tell you, we just need a couple more tests first." She picked up a syringe from a metal tray beside her.

"What the hell?! Keep that away from me!" Ed was suddenly much more awake. Which was when he noticed just how much his right arm and left leg hurt. He looked about him frantically. His automail ports had been removed and he was in his boxers. Where the ports should have been, there were only bandages. His remaining wrist and ankle were both tied in place, and he even had an IV hooked up to his arm. "What have you done to me?!"

"We've merely prepared you." She smiled warmly and then stuck the needle into his hand, finding a vein.

Ed cursed.

She just fucking smiled.

"Prepared me for what? What is going on?!"

"Your new life, Edward, dear. You see, it all begins with me and Grant. None of us are able to have children, and we therefore thought about adoption. But we wanted to find someone who really needed it, and so we decided not upon children in orphanages. No, we wanted someone who we could give a new life, so when we saw an article about you in the newspapers, we knew it had to be you. And so, for the last five months, me and Grant have been finding children similar to you, trying to find out just how to get it right. We wanted to fix you, you see. And now you're finally here."

"You're not fucking adopting me!"

"Yes, we are."

She then pulled her chair away, which was when Ed noticed the array that he was sitting in the middle of.

Fuck.

Then the lady and Grant bent down and pressed their hands to the array, making it glow, and then everything turned white.

* * *

Roy was worried as hell. It had been a week since Fullmetal's abduction. And on the military grounds as well. Just because they hadn't foreseen that there would in fact be two culprits, and so while the officers were busy shooting at one of them, the other had just transmuted a large dust cloud, grabbing Fullmetal right under their noses.

And they hadn't even managed to catch the first kidnapper.

Havoc had of course tried protecting the kid to the best of his ability, and had a moderate concussion to show for it.

And fact was, Fullmetal was probably dead by now.

Just because they hadn't managed to protect him.

Alphonse hadn't given up hope and neither had Roy, though. But he had to admit that his hope was waning with each day that passed.

"Sir, we've got a lead."

Roy stood up immediately, staring at Hawkeye.

"A week ago, an old lady saw a young couple carrying their son into an old hospital. The son was described as blonde and wearing a red coat."

Roy was immediately heading out the door. "Tell me the address in the car."

He shouted to the room at large. "We've got a lead on Fullmetal."

It was all that needed to be said.

* * *

Roy kicked the door open to the abandoned hospital, telling his men which floors and which departments that they were going to check out. He had not allowed Alphonse to join them, merely because of the fact that there was by now a strong possibility that his older brother was dead.

And so he walked through the paediatrics department on the ground floor, his flashlight held in front of him. He shone the light into every room that he walked past, but couldn't find anything.

"LET ME GO! PLEASE!"

Roy began running towards the sound of the screams immediately. He ran down the hall and kicked open the door, finding two people standing there in front of a small boy. A boy much too small to be Fullmetal.

_Which must mean…_

"YOU BASTARDS!"

Roy snapped his fingers, but the couple had already moved and had transmuted a protective wall in front of them. Roy ran forwards, determined to burn the people that had killed his youngest subordinate.

Then there was another transmutation, and the couple disappeared into another dust cloud. Roy cursed, not able to see anything. He ran forwards towards the boy in the chair. At least they weren't running away with him too.

The boy coughed repeatedly next to him.

After a minute, it was made clear that the killers had created a hole in the wall and had escaped outside. Which meant that Roy now had to focus on their only lead, which was the small boy next to him.

Roy looked him over. He too was blonde, but had short hair instead.

"Who are you? Please help me! I just wanna go home!"

Roy's eyes fell on the child's and he froze.

The boy had golden eyes.

Just like Fullmetal's.

Roy noticed that the kid was sitting in a pair of boxers that were much too large for him, and he was sitting in the middle of a transmutation circle.

_It can't be._

"What's your name?" Roy looked straight into the child's teary eyes.

"Edward. Are you here to help me?"

**_Oh god._**

"Please don't hurt me anymore." The child was looking scared, obviously interpreting Roy's lack of an answer as a sign that he was here to do more of whatever these people had done to him.

His wrists were tied to the chair's armrests and he had an IV hooked up to his left arm. Roy gently removed the tape and pulled out the needle, earning a wince from the boy.

"I'm here to rescue you, don't worry, you're safe. I'm with the military." He started untying the kid's wrists.

"So you'll take me home to Mom and Al?"

_God, it **is** Fullmetal._

Roy fake-smiled confidently and nodded. "Yes, I will. First, though, I just need you to answer a few questions back at the military HQ, okay?"

"Oh, okay."

The boy was shivering.

Roy got his last wrist free, and he unfastened his uniform jacket and dressed the child in it instead. When he stood up, it was probably going to reach him to his knees. "How old are you, Edward?"

"Five."

"And how long have you been here?" Roy started folding up the sleeves so that the child's hands were visible.

"Four days, I think."

Roy was going to burn them.

"Do you think you can walk?"

The boy nodded.

Roy stood up and lifted the child by his armpits, placing him on the floor. "You okay?"

"Yes."

Roy took his small hand in his right, and they walked slowly through the hospital. The boy kept sniffing, obviously still scared and trying not to cry.

"What's your name?" the small child asked him.

"It's Roy." Roy didn't want the five-year-old to call him the same that his fifteen-year-old self did. It just wasn't right, any of this.

How the hell was he going to fix this? What would he tell Alphonse? What would he tell the small boy that was walking slowly next to him?

Then Hawkeye came running down the staircase to his left. "Sir! Did you –" Then she stopped, staring at the boy, obviously recognising his eyes. She gasped.

"Yes." Roy said simply. He didn't want to frighten the child more than necessary right now. "Would you please inform the rest of the team, while I take Edward back to HQ?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

Roy walked to the door, looking down at the child. He seemed weaker than he had been when Roy found him. "Are you okay?"

"I don't feel so good." Then his legs buckled and Roy picked him up before his knees could hit the floor.

"Hey, Edward, what's wrong?" Roy said, the child was lying limply in his arms.

"Don't know. They gave me something before you came."

"Did they say why?" Roy was walking towards the car.

"I think they said something about a horse."

_Which probably refers to yourself._

"Why can't I move, Roy?" The child was scared.

Hopefully it was the drug. God knew that the kid didn't need anything else right now.

"I don't know, but it's going to be okay, I swear."

This wasn't real, it couldn't be.

Yet there was no denying it that the child in his arms had to be Edward Elric.

An Edward Elric that was so young that he still believed his mother to be alive.

Roy got inside the car. The child couldn't move his limbs at all.

Which meant that Roy would just have to sit there with the boy in his lap to make sure that he wasn't flung about.

And so Roy drove. "Do you remember what happened before you woke up?"

"No. It's all fuzzy. Roy, why did she look at me like that? Why do you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're scared. Why do I scare you?"

"It's nothing. I'll explain it later."

"I don't think it's nothing."

_Damn it, kid, why do you have to be such a prodigy?!_

"I'll tell you later."

"You're stressed."

_Of course I'm stressed! My subordinate has been drugged and experimented on so that he's been transformed into a five-year-old!_

"Edward, do you know what they did to you?"

"They kept talking about adopting me, but they needed to make me ready first. They've been sticking me with needles and done transmutations."

Roy felt anger surging through him. That was what this was all about? Adoption?

"Have you had anything to eat?"

"No. I'm tired, Roy."

"Just close your eyes, Ed, you're safe now. You can sleep as much as you like."

"Thanks."

The boy was soon sleeping against his chest.

_What the hell do we do, kid? We need to get you right again._

* * *

Roy went inside HQ, immediately running into Alphonse.

Shit.

"Colonel, did you – BROTHER!"

Of course he would recognise him no matter how old he was. And obviously there was a large part of Edward Elric that recognised his brother's voice, too, because he jerked awake. "Al? Where's…?" The kid looked shocked at the suit of armour. "What's the armour doing here?"

"You don't – ? Colonel, what did they do to him?"

Roy could hear the pain and fright in Alphonse's voice at not being recognised by his only family, and it made him feel guilty.

This was not how he had planned for this to turn out.

"Who are you?" the small boy asked his brother, fear in his voice. "Why are you wearing that armour? Did you rob us? Have you hurt Mom or Al?!"

Alphonse began shaking his hands quickly, trying to diffuse his brother's anger. "No! Brother, I – "

There were a few seconds of silence.

"… Al?" the kid said slowly.

"Yes."

"But … How? What's going on?! Where's Mom?! Why do you look like that!?"

"Edward, take it easy…" Roy said, trying to calm the child down.

"NO! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"

Which of course had to be when the kid had regained control of his body and jumped out of Roy's arms on sheer adrenaline. He stood up on the floor and glared at them, looking frankly ridiculous. He had the same fierce glint in his eyes as Fullmetal usually did, but the fact that he was about ninety centimetres tall and wearing a vastly oversized military jacket while also barefoot, made him seem mostly like he needed his nap time and little else.

People around them were stopping to watch, and so Roy tried to diffuse the situation. He needed to get the kid looked over by the doctor and then do all the questions.

"Edward, listen, we're going to explain everything, but we need to get you looked at by a doctor first."

"NO! YOU LIED TO ME!" He began backing away. He was scared, it was evident in his eyes. "HOW DO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT WITH THEM?! HOW CAN I TRUST YOU?! HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT YOU WON'T HURT ME TOO?!"

"Edward, you're at East HQ. We are surrounded by officers and none of these people are here to hurt you."

"I WANT TO SEE MOM THEN!"

"Edward…"

"You can't," Alphonse said, sadly.

"WHY?!"

"She's dead." There was so much sorrow behind those words.

Ed looked up at him, tears welling in his eyes. "NO SHE'S NOT! STOP LYING TO ME!" Then he ran in between a group of soldiers and out the front doors.

Roy began running after him, pushing open the double doors.

He stood there, gazing into the darkness.

Where did he go?

Roy kept looking about, but couldn't see him.

Shit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! Thank you so much to the people who have already reviewed, favourited and followed this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter**** Two**

Ed was scared and crying and just wanted to get home to Mom and the real Al. He had trusted Roy because he said that he was with the military, but he had lied to him.

He didn't like this. He didn't know where he was, just that he needed to get away from the liars and the people that had hurt him. He ran down the street, getting funny looks from people who kept calling to him, but Ed didn't care. He wasn't going to trust anyone until he was back home with Mom and Al.

He ran until he couldn't anymore, stopping at a dark alley, crouching down behind a garbage bin.

What was happening? Why couldn't he remember getting taken?

The last four days had been horrible. The couple had been sticking needles in his neck and back and had been a activating some sort of array. Whatever they had been doing to "prepare" him, had hurt. Not his body, except for what the needles did, but his mind. They had kept tearing at his mind, deleting things. He just didn't know what they had deleted. It had hurt a lot when they hadn't been able to delete anymore and they had pulled out the needles instead.

He was scared and he was alone and nobody was telling him the truth. But why wouldn't they?

"Hey, kid. Why you here?" said a raspy voice.

Ed looked up. There was some light coming from the streetlights outside that lit up the man's face slightly. Ed didn't like the way he was grinning.

"Your parents abandon you?"

The man stepped closer. Ed curled in on himself.

"You know, it's not safe to be in a place like this. You can meet all sorts of dangerous people."

Ed was trapped. "GET AWAY FROM ME! SOMEBODY! HELP!" he shouted, doing as Mom had told him to do if someone strange did anything he didn't like.

The man bent forwards, gripping his wrist and began dragging him with him. Ed struggled, but the man was too strong. "HELP!"

Then the man clamped his hand in front of his mouth and the other around his chest, lifting him up.

_No! Not again! I just want Mom and Al! Please not again!_

Then suddenly the man fell to his knees and another person tore Ed from his grip, clutching him to their chest.

Ed began thrashing about as much as he could. "NO! PLEASE! JUST LET ME GO HOME!"

"Hey, Edward, it's okay, it's Roy. I won't hurt you, I swear."

"Please! I just wanna see Mom! I wanna be with Al! Why can't I?!"

"Because your mother has been dead for ten years now, Ed."

* * *

Roy sighed deeply. There was no point in lying to the stubborn kid.

"No, it isn't true! She was there just a week ago!"

"And a week ago you were fifteen until you were kidnapped by the people that returned you to your five-year-old self."

"No! I wasn't! It can't be! It just can't! Please don't say that!"

Roy hated himself for doing this, but the kid would find out sooner or later. If they were going to have him cooperate with them, then they needed him to trust them. He was five after all. Roy was going to have to apply child logic.

"Edward, I'm sorry, but it's true." Roy shifted his grip so that he had his hand under his knees and behind his back.

Roy felt weird. This was supposed to be the Fullmetal Alchemist?

**_No, it isn't, Roy. This is a frightened boy and what he was like before everything went to hell._**

Edward was clutching the front of Roy's shirt, obviously crying.

_**Damn it, Roy! Of course he's crying! You basically just killed his mother!**_

Roy gripped the child closer to him.

"Alphonse? How are things going with you?"

"I've transmuted his hand to the wall so that he can't escape. We can just call the police to come get him."

"Sounds good. Then we're going back to HQ."

Roy turned his head around and saw that the man was definitely the worse for wear. Alphonse had beaten him repeatedly and his whole face was bloody.

Roy couldn't even begin to understand how the kid must be feeling. After a week of waiting for the news that his big brother had been found dead, instead he is discovered to have been transformed into a mere boy that doesn't even recognise him. And when someone then tries to hurt his brother even more, then of course he's allowed to snap. It just meant that they'd be pulling the "attacked a State Alchemist" card with the MPs instead of the "trying to kidnap a five-year-old boy" card with the regular cops so that Alphonse wouldn't get in trouble with the law. It was better, anyway. Roy hardly wanted men like that on the streets.

"Tell you what, Alphonse, let's just send the MPs instead and tell them that this man tried attacking Edward Elric."

"Oh, alright, Colonel. Sounds good. How is Brother doing?"

At the mention of the word "Brother", Edward gave a loud sob.

Roy sighed and they walked back to HQ in silence, not wanting to upset Ed even further. He kept crying into Roy's shirt all the way through the fifteen-minute walk. Roy's heart ached for the kid.

The only problem was what they were going to do with him until they found a way to get the child back to normal.

And there was also the fact that there was a very real possibility that the kidnappers would come back for him.

Roy carried the boy through the halls of East HQ. He found his way to the infirmary while Alphonse delivered his message to the lady behind the reception desk, who made sure to call the MPs immediately.

Roy ended up pulling a Fullmetal and kicked the door open, lacking any arms to do so with otherwise. The doctor looked curiously up as he banged his way into the infirmary, but became professional instantly as he saw the child in Roy's arms.

"What has happened to him?"

"I need you to check him out. He's been held captive for a week and I don't know exactly what the culprits did to him."

"Of course, just lay him down on the bed and I'll get right to it."

Roy did as he was told, despite the fact that the child immediately grew scared as he saw the tools lying on the tray next to the bed. "NO! I TRUSTED YOU! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T HURT ME! I TRUSTED YOU!" Edward thrashed about in his arms and Roy had to give up on his attempt at putting him down.

"What's the matter?" the doctor said concernedly.

Roy held Edward close to his chest, shushing him. "He's been held in a surgical theatre during his captivity and been a part of some kind of experiment."

The doctor's eyes grew wide with understanding, and he put away all his instruments.

"How about we remove the jacket and I can examine him as he sits on your lap?"

"How does that sound, Edward? Then I can make sure that the doctor doesn't hurt you?"

There was a whimper, but after a few seconds, there was the slightest of nods.

"Right, then I need to remove the jacket."

"No."

"Edward, unless you want me to bring you to a hospital, you need to work with me."

That had been the wrong thing to say. The boy instantly began struggling to get free. "NO! DON'T TAKE ME BACK THERE! PLEASE!"

"Sh-sh-sh, Edward, no one is going to take you back to those people, I swear."

"But you said…?"

"No. Listen, Ed, how about this? If you let me remove the jacket, then I'll buy you two scoops of ice cream."

The child stopped his wriggling and stared at him. "You promise?"

"Yes. Two scoops."

Edward eyed him sceptically, then he nodded. He sat back down on his lap and raised his arms in the air.

Roy pulled the jacket over the boy's head, and then he held his arms around him. It was weird to think that this small boy would one day be the "Hero of the People". This was before the transmutation, before his brother lost his body. Before the automail. Before the military. This was just a scared five-year-old boy.

A five-year-old boy who was currently clinging to his shirt, exposing all the needle marks on his neck and back.

The doctor had noticed them too.

"Edward, what did they do to you?" Roy asked.

"They were trying to make me forget, but they couldn't. They just reached a point where they couldn't hurt my mind anymore, and they tried all sorts of things. They gave me needles filled with weird stuff that made me see things, they tried everything, but they couldn't empty my mind anymore. And it hurt. Some of it burned."

Roy was furious. It was bad enough to do that to a grownup, but a five-year-old child?

Roy was definitely going to burn them.

He found himself holding Edward closer to his chest.

The doctor wasn't able to find anything physically wrong with the boy, but he needed a blood sample, which was when Edward began screaming and clawing to get away.

"Listen, Ed, it's okay! He's not like the people who took you! He's not going to make you hurt the way they did. He's a professional. A real doctor."

"NO! GET HIM AWAY FROM ME!"

"Listen, Edward, I swear that I'm not going to let him do anything to hurt you. I'm going to hold your hand, and if he even thinks about doing anything else than taking a blood sample, then I'm going to hit him."

"NO! PLEASE! NO MORE!"

Roy just closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He couldn't order the struggling child around like he had done just a week ago. He needed to make him trust him, and if he was being too strict to him, then it wouldn't do him any good.

Roy held Edward close to his chest, gripping his arms so that he wouldn't hurt himself. "Edward, please, just listen to me."

"NO!"

Edward was kicking and screaming, getting more and more terrified as Roy kept restraining him. Soon he was outright crying. "Please, Roy! Don't do this to me!"

"Would you trust Granny Pinako?" came Alphonse's voice from over by the corner. Roy hadn't noticed him coming into the infirmary, he had been too busy with Edward.

Edward suddenly grew still. "Granny? Is she here?"

"No, but she could be here tomorrow if you want."

He was quiet for about thirty seconds. "Yes. She can do it."

_Thank god._

He knew that the woman in question was a surgeon and would therefore be fully capable of taking a blood sample.

Roy relaxed his grip. It wasn't the best thing to wait, but he didn't want to cause this boy any more pain and fear. If Edward did get sick, then they would take him to a hospital no matter what. Right now, however, it seemed that the child first and foremost needed sleep and safety.

"Can I have the jacket back? I'm cold," Edward said quietly.

"Yes, lift your hands above your head."

Edward did as he was told and was once again dressed in the ridiculously large uniform jacket. They didn't have any clothes that would fit the child and they would have to buy some soon. He could send Hawkeye out to do it, he supposed. Right now he was just going to take Edward back to the office and let him sleep on the couch.

* * *

Alphonse was hesitantly picking up the phone. How was he supposed to explain what had happened to Brother? They hadn't even told Granny and Winry that Ed had been missing for a week. It didn't feel real, any of this. His Big Brother was now nine years younger than him and didn't recognise him. He had still thought that Mom was alive.

How should Alphonse tell him what they had done and what had happened? What would he do if Ed never got back to himself?

He dialled the number and soon heard the voice of Winry.

"Rockbell Prosthetic Limb Outfitters." She spoke so normally that it broke his heart.

"Uh, Winry? It's about Brother."

"Don't tell me he broke his automail again!"

"No! No he didn't!" Al immediately grew terrified at Winry's I'm-going-to-hit-you-with-a-wrench tone of voice.

"Then what is it? Is something wrong?" He could hear the anxiousness in her voice.

"Yes."

"What happened, Al? He's alive, right?" There was real terror in her voice now.

"Yes, he is, but…"

"But what, Al?!"

"He got kidnapped a-and he's different. He's five again. He doesn't even recognise me and he's terrified. It's like the last ten years never happened."

"What are you saying, Al?!"

"The people, they drugged him and experimented on him and I don't think he even believes that it's me. He doesn't really trust us. Please, ask Granny to come here to East HQ. We need to check him over but he panics the moment he sees a needle and we need to take a blood sample in case they did something to him that could hurt him."

"Give it to me, Winry." Granny Pinako was obviously speaking in the background. "Hello, Al, we'll be there tomorrow. There's a night train that I think leaves at nine."

"Thank you, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. He's Brother, but also not. I'm not sure he even believes that Mom's dead."

"Just take it easy, Al, we'll figure this out."

* * *

Ed kept passing large, uniformed people. They scared him slightly. They kept looking at him funny. He didn't know if he could trust Roy or "Al". If they brought Granny here tomorrow, then he would. Especially if she said that the armour really was his Al.

And if it was…

Then he must have hurt him by saying the things he did.

But he couldn't begin to trust "Al" if he was lying to him.

He wasn't going to go back to those people ever again.

"Roy?" Ed looked up to his right to the large man that was walking next to him.

"Yes, Edward?"

"I need to pee."

Roy looked slightly surprised. "Oh, then I'll take you to the toilets."

Ed followed Roy through the hallways until they came to a large room with many stalls and three sinks. This was nothing like the bathroom back home.

Ed saw what looked like the bottoms of toilets, though, under the stall doors.

Ed walked forwards and pushed one of the doors open. It was a toilet. He closed the door and then did his business before he walked back out and over to the sinks. Only problem was that he couldn't reach the soap. Next second, Roy had lifted him under the armpits and was holding him up so that he could wash his hands and then dry them with paper towels. Roy then put him back on the ground and Ed walked back to the door, not sure if he should thank him or not.

Problem was, Roy seemed kind, but then he suddenly lied to him and was in on the doctor sticking him with needles.

He wasn't sure if he could be trusted. Because he did save him from the people that hurt him and the man in the alley, but he wasn't sure if he believed him. How could Mom be dead? How could Al have grown that much? And why did Roy act like he knew them from before? Why would he know anyone from the military if it was true anyway? If it was true, he would be fifteen. The military didn't take in people that were that young.

No. He couldn't let his guard down around Roy, not until Granny came and told him the truth.

Roy opened the door for him and pointed out which direction that they were supposed to walk in. Ed walked that way, and then he stopped. He stood in front of a machine that promised him water. He hadn't had anything to drink in four days, just the things that they had put into his veins. He turned around to ask Roy if he could have some, but he had disappeared. "Roy?" Ed asked.

No answer. No dark-haired man looking for him or calling for him among the crowd of soldiers.

"Roy!"

Still nothing. Just a lot of soldiers walking past him, no one seeing him.

"ROY!"

Then someone was suddenly standing in front of him, all dressed up in uniform, a warm smile on his face. It was the man that had called himself Grant. The man that had stuck so many needles in his neck. Ed panicked.

"Hello, Son, it's time to take you home."

No! The military was supposed to be safe! He was supposed to be safe here!

Ed began running away. "ROY! ROY! ROY!"

Grant caught him quickly, though. He lifted him into the air. "NO! LET ME GO!"

"Is something wrong?" a woman Ed had never seen before asked them.

"YES! DON'T LET HIM TAKE ME! PLEASE!"

"It's just my son. You know how five-year-olds can be when they try to defy you."

"Oh, then I guess – "

"NO! HE KIDNAPPED ME!"

The woman looked unsure.

"DON'T LET HIM HURT ME! PLEASE!"

She seemed to become more and more unsure and her hand reached slowly towards a gun on her belt.

Then someone stuck a syringe into her neck and she quickly fell to the ground, revealing Lillian from the hospital.

"NO! SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP!"

But the hallway was empty now. The soldiers had left for the day.

"Edward, my son, we're just giving you a happy, new home. We just need to make you ready first." She pulled out another needle and Grant put his hand in front of his mouth.

_**No! Please don't do this again! I don't want to! Please!**_

"It will be alright, dear, soon you'll have a new life with us." She was about to stick the needle into his neck, when a shot suddenly rang out.

Grant shrieked and let go of Ed as he fell to the ground just as Lillian transmuted a wall in front of her. "I swear that I'll be back for you my son," she said and then the wall closed up the hallway completely.

Ed quickly began crawling away from Grant who was screaming and cursing as he clutched his bleeding knee.

"Edward, are you alright?" It was the blonde woman from the hospital, the one Roy had spoken to.

A lot of soldiers had come now and they were pointing their guns at Grant.

The woman kneeled down in front of him, smiling kindly. "It's okay, we caught the bad man."

"Who are you?" Ed asked cautiously.

"I'm Riza, I'm Roy's assistant."

"Where's Roy?"

"They drugged him, he's resting right now. I can take you to him if you want?"

Ed looked at her, trying to see if she was lying. Roy had seemed to trust her earlier.

And she shot Grant.

"Okay, but I want another you to take another soldier with you too." Ed said. If she was with Lillian and Grant, another soldier would be able to protect him.

"Of course, Edward."

Riza stood up and walked over to one of the other soldiers while Ed rose slowly. The two of them came over to him and Riza smiled at him. "Edward, this is Second Lieutenant Breda."

Ed just stared at him, trying to see if he was untrustworthy. He, too, looked at Ed with a small amount of fright.

"Why are you scared of me? Roy wouldn't say."

"Edward, this really isn't the place to discuss this," Breda began saying.

"No! I want some answers!"

Riza smiled sadly. "Tell you what, we'll take you to Roy and if he doesn't explain, I'll shoot him."

Ed looked her in the eye, and discovered that she wasn't actually lying to him. After a few seconds, he nodded.

He followed the two of them through the halls and into an office. Then they went through to an inner office, and Ed saw Roy lying on the couch.

"Edward!" Roy said, relief flooding his face. Ed guessed that he had got the same drug as he had, because he didn't seem to be able to move his body.

Which meant that he couldn't be with Lillian and Grant…

Which meant that he could be telling the truth…

Which meant that everything was wrong right now and that Ed just wanted a hug.

And so he ran over to Roy and threw himself around his neck and began crying.

* * *

**Okay, so it might be more realistic with updates twice a week or more, but I won't make any promises because I have three other active stories as well, so it really depends on what sort of mood I am in.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for your response,** **guys!**

**Thank you to all you readers, reviewers, favouriters and followers!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Roy felt odd. He had no feeling from his shoulders down to his toes and Edward Elric was clinging to his neck while sobbing his heart out, his wet cheek pressed against his dry, slightly stubble-covered one.

And Roy just wished that he could hug him back.

"Sh-sh, Edward, it's alright, you're safe. None of my team will try to hurt you."

"Lillian and Grant tried to take me! They were going to use more needles! You said you wouldn't let them hurt me again!"

"And I kept my promise, because even though they got me, I didn't let them take you. Because my team did exactly what I wanted them to."

Which Roy firmly believed.

"Sir, we got Grant," Hawkeye said.

_Thank god._

He had to say that he was rather embarrassed about the fact that he had let himself get jumped. The last thing he remembered was walking out of the toilets and pointing and then a lot of pain in the back of his head, and then he woke up here two minutes ago with Falman and Fuery watching him while he couldn't move his body.

So to see the little boy walking inside the room and looking unharmed filled him with immense relief. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if they had taken Edward again. After everything that they had put him through, there was no way in hell that they were going to take him away from Roy again.

Because fact was that Roy felt responsible for Edward. He had failed to protect him and the result was gruesome. And the worst part was that the child probably didn't even even understand what crimes had been committed against him. Because Ed didn't know what they had taken away from him by removing the last ten years. What they had taken from Alphonse.

"Riza said that she'd shoot you if you didn't tell me why I scare you," Edward said, still hugging him.

Roy froze. Fine. It seemed that the time had come for Edward to know what had happened the last few years.

"And I will, I just need some assistance from Alphonse, so we have to wait for him, okay?"

The kid didn't move from where he stood. "Riza, is he stalling?"

"Actually, Edward, he's right."

Edward pulled back slightly, his hands on Roy's shoulders. The golden eyes scrutinised Roy's, trying to find any deception. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Okay." Then he climbed up and sat himself down on Roy's chest. "But you're not leaving until you tell me." He crossed his arms.

Roy couldn't help but smile. Apparently the kid had always been and always would be a stubborn brat. "Deal."

To be honest, Roy was just glad that Ed seemed to trust him enough to not run away from him again, which is a major improvement.

"Hey, Edward, what would you like to eat?"

The child grew contemplative. "Pizza."

"Okay, Breda, Falman, Fuery? Go get Edward a pizza and some new clothes."

"Yes, Boss. What kind of topping?"

Edward grew dreamy. "Meat. Lots of meat."

"Yes, Chief," Breda said.

Roy froze slightly, but Edward didn't seem to notice.

"Hawkeye, would you mind getting Ed something to drink? And two scoops of ice cream."

"I'll get right to it, Sir."

And so it was only Roy and Ed left in the room.

"Edward? Are you alright?"

He was silent for a few seconds. "Don't know."

"Are you still scared?"

"Think so."

"You know I won't let anything happen to you?"

The child stared at him for half a minute before he suddenly curled up on his chest, his right cheek resting against his left. "Yes."

Roy was simply dumbstruck. To think that this was Edward Elric was almost laughable. There was no other way to describe his actions than adorable.

And if there was one word that he didn't associate with him, it would be that. Which shows just how much Edward lost when his mother died and he instead focused his energy upon raising his brother and on the alchemy.

And he gave up the last remnants of his childhood the moment he signed up with the military.

All in just seven years…

No, it was cruel. Just all too cruel.

What Roy wanted to know now, however, was how the kidnappers had got inside the military so easily, and twice even.

"Edward, did Lillian and Grant say how they got inside?"

"No. But they were wearing uniforms. Do you think they work here? Because then Lillian can come back for me!"

That would explain a lot.

"Listen, Edward, I won't let her get you, no matter what."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

Roy had some experience with dealing with small, scared children, it came with the missions, he supposed. But right now, he was probably the only person that this boy trusted to keep him safe in a world that had to be scarier than Roy could ever imagine. So if Ed felt like clinging onto him like he was his lifeline, then Roy was just going to let him. This was Roy's fault after all. He would be amazed if the kid would ever trust him again after Roy told him what happened a week ago.

_God, I'm so sorry, Fullmetal._

_So, so sorry._

Suddenly there was a lot of clanking and then the door burst open.

"BROTHER!"

Al was standing in the doorway, obviously just having heard about what had just happened. "Brother! Are you alright?!"

The boy in question had originally reacted with clutching Roy's shirt, but was now sitting up slightly, staring at his brother.

"You really are Al, aren't you." The boy was shivering slightly with a lot of barely repressed emotions.

"Yes, Brother, I am."

He sat there for a few seconds, probably thinking about what he was going to ask first. "Why are you in the armour?"

"Because when Mom died, we tried to bring her back. The transmutation failed, however, and you lost your left leg, and I lost my whole body. You sacrificed your right arm to bind my soul to this armour." He kneeled down and removed his helmet, revealing the blood seal. "You were eleven and I was ten."

"Y-you **lost** your body?" Edward was crying, Roy could hear it even though he couldn't see his face.

"Yes, Brother, I did."

"B-but…"

"Colonel Mustang found us a few days later. He saw what we had done, but he didn't turn us in. Instead he gave you an opportunity to get our bodies back by joining the State Alchemists. You got automail and when you were twelve, you got your state licence."

"I-I did?"

Roy sighed deeply. "Yes, you did, Edward. You were known as the "Fullmetal Alchemist". I'm your commanding officer. A week ago I warned you about a serial killer that seemed to be targeting you, and we were moving you to the military barracks when you were attacked and kidnapped. We had assumed that there was only one killer, and so we were fooled by one of them acting as a decoy. I'm so sorry, kid. More sorry than you'll ever know."

The child hadn't turned around once since Roy had spoken. There was silence for a few seconds as Ed just took in all the information. He was shaking. Then he turned around and threw himself down on Roy's chest, sobbing loudly.

"NO! I DON'T WANT THIS! STOP IT! **I DON'T WANT THIS!**"

Thank god that Roy was finally regaining enough control of his arms to at least put them around him. He could practically hear how much emotional pain it caused the boy to hear this. The child was wailing. He had had his heart broken into so many pieces by this.

"I'm so sorry, Ed. So sorry. So sorry." Roy didn't know exactly what it was that made him do it, but he bent his neck and kissed the top of the boy's head. "I'm so sorry," he kept whispering into his hair.

Edward kept bawling for the next ten minutes. Roy had complete control of his body now, and was holding him tightly against his chest, one hand on his back, the other at the back of his head. His lips were still pressed against the boy's head, trying to just give the child some support in all this pain and sorrow.

Alphonse was quiet. Roy could understand how he didn't even know what to say, the kid must be hurting so much.

"I'm so sorry, Ed," Roy said.

"Stop it," Ed mumbled.

"Sorry."

"I told you to stop. Stop saying that you're sorry! Stop it! JUST STOP IT!"

He began hitting Roy's chest with his small fists. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

Roy was surprised by the reaction. "Why?"

"BECAUSE IT ISN'T YOUR FAULT! SO JUST STOP IT!"

"How can you say that?"

"BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AFTER MYSELF! I SCREWED UP! AL LOST HIS BODY! I LOST MY LIMBS! AND I COULDN'T EVEN STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ME! IT'S MY FAULT! I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AFTER AL AND THEN NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN BETTER CARE OF MOM! IT'S MY FAULT!"

"Edward, don't say that."

"I FAILED MOM AND THEN I FAILED AL AND THEN I FAILED HIM AGAIN!"

"That's not true, Brother. You never failed me. Never."

Ed got free from Roy's grip and sat up, turning towards Al. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! I'M YOUR BIG BROTHER! I DID THOSE THINGS! YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD BRING MOM BACK! YOU LOST YOUR BODY BECAUSE OF ME!" Edward was halfway screaming, halfway sobbing. It was one of the most saddening things Roy had ever seen. Despite Ed being just five, he still saw Alphonse as his little brother. He still felt like protecting him. And he still blamed himself.

"Ed, don't say that! I wanted to bring Mom back just as much as you!"

"I SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED YOU!"

"You saved me, Brother, you did more than protect me."

"IT WAS THE LEAST I COULD DO! AND APPARENTLY I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS!"

Then Edward moved to get off of Roy's chest, but he didn't see clearly through his tears and stumbled and fell with his right knee banging against the edge of the table. He fell down between the couch and the table and then he held his knee, crying loudly, a small stream of blood running down his shin.

Roy was immediately sitting up and lifted him up from the floor, placing him on his lap and assessed the damage. It was thankfully just a medium-sized cut and nothing more, but with everything else going on, it was just too much for the little boy. He was bawling, clinging to Roy's shirt.

"Al, grab the first aid kit. Ed, it's just a cut, you'll be fine in no time."

"I don't want stitches, does it need stitches?"

Of course that was the problem. He wouldn't want any more needles of any kind.

Which was when Hawkeye returned. She was carrying a large sundae and a big glass of lemonade.

Perfect timing.

Hawkeye took one look at the situation and then strode forwards, handing Ed the sundae. The effect was stunning. The child stopped wailing and just stared at the ice cream before he attacked it with his spoon. Hawkeye then took the first aid kit from Alphonse and by the time Ed had finished relishing his ice cream, which was at a mesmerising speed for a five-year-old, his knee had been cleaned and had a bandage on.

"You fixed it?" Edward asked, surprised, stretching out his leg and looking at the bandage.

"It's the power of ice cream," Hawkeye said, smiling. "Here's your lemonade, don't drink it all, you need some to drink with the pizza."

The boy slurped the beverage through his straw, sounding like he hadn't drunk for days.

Roy felt a cold shiver go down his spine. "Edward, did they give you anything to drink?"

"No. They just put stuff in my veins."

Roy felt the anger burning in him. The boy had been conscious for at least four days, and all he had been given were those damn syringes. "Edward, you can drink as much as you want. We can buy you a new one if you need."

In answer, the boy threw himself over his lemonade, slurping the contents at an alarming rate. Roy just hugged him.

The glass was soon empty. "Shall I get you another one, Edward?" Hawkeye asked, taking the glass from him.

Ed nodded eagerly.

Hawkeye smiled and left the room.

Roy had to say that he was surprised by how much Edward was able to eat and drink, but as long as he didn't get sick, Roy was going to let him have anything he wanted.

"Oh, Alphonse? How did your conversation go with the Rockbells?"

"They're taking the night train, they'll be here tomorrow morning."

"Good."

"So they're coming, all four of them?" Ed asked.

"No, just Granny and Winry… Uncle and Auntie ... they died in the Ishbalan war."

"No!"

Getting this kid up to speed was a cruel thing, and Roy soon found himself hugging Edward who was crying again. This day must have been absolute hell for him.

Roy was going to have a long talk to Grant. That man was going to answer for what he had done and he was going to give them a way to get Fullmetal back again.

And he doubted that anyone would care if Roy beat him to a pulp to find the answers. Not after what he had done.

* * *

**So, I'm planning to make this an AU, although I might put in some elements from the manga/Brotherhood, as well as the first anime, unless you people want something else. **

**And I firmly believe in the power of ice cream, because it made me forget the fact that my nose had been broken so that it had been moved a centimetre up to the left, back when I was five. (Although I lost a tooth in it five minutes in and had to search for it while my ice cream melted. I wasn't having a good day...)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we are, chapter four!**

**And I just have to say that I'm amazed at the response this is getting! (Originally I was sceptical about posting this story, but I thought that I might as well just see what happens, and I'm so glad I did.)**

**And I have to say that writing this chapter was hard on me emotionally, because I only now realised what I have done to the fifteen-year-old Ed. And that actually hurts. A lot. And I am so very sorry about that. But I also love five-year-old Ed, and I have to say that he is one of the most adorable things I have ever written.**

**And so I think I will have to give him lots of ice cream in the future...**

**And I would just like to add a sort of aid in the mental pictures that you're getting, because I'm using "dungarees" in the British sense, which would mean "overall" in the American one, just so that you get the right pictures of little Ed. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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**Chapter Four**

"Hello, Mister Penton," Roy was sitting down in his chair, glaring at the man that had been a part of making his subordinate go through hell. They had found the couple quickly in the files. Lillian and Grant Penton, both twenty-six, both Second Lieutenants, had been transferred to East a month ago after requesting that they should be so because of "a family member that needed medical treatment and support through these trying times".

The only problem was that there were no such relations, which meant that they had been referring to what they had been planning to do to Fullmetal. After reading that, Roy had practically stormed into the interrogation room.

"Hello, Colonel Mustang. I guess this means that the drug is out of your system? It's not very long-term after all." The man was speaking as though he had done nothing wrong. "I hope that you have been taking care of my son? Because if you have hurt him, then we're going to find a way to hurt you. It's our duty as parents to protect our child after all." He said this with a threatening tone.

"**_How dare you even suggest me hurting him after what you did, how dare you?_**" Roy sneered, barely keeping it together.

"We weren't hurting him, we were preparing him for his new and happy life with us."

Roy slammed his hand down on the metal table. "**Listen here, you tortured a five-year-old child without letting him drink or eat for four days!**"

"Don't say things like that, Colonel. You shouldn't talk about things that you don't understand."

This man. **This** man was **patronising** him.

"TELL ME HOW TO CHANGE HIM BACK!"

"You can't. It's a one-way ticket back to childhood. You must have seen that? You can't just age him up again, there isn't enough material to do so with. That was why it was so perfect with his automail. With the proper calculations we were able to transmute the excess materials and make them into body parts and similar. We did of course have to cut his hair first and remove parts of his organs, but he was completely unconscious for that part, don't you worry. After that, all we had to do was remove his memories of his hard life. His wrong life. Unfortunately you interrupted us before we found the way to do so beyond what the transmutations did. Seemed that it was quite hard to get him further than to a certain point. So you see, Colonel Mustang, even if you try to transmute him back, all you will do is kill him. And even if you should find a way to get past the problem of the biological material, you will be stuck with a fifteen-year-old boy with the mind of a five-year-old and you will disrupt his growth and destroy every part of his life. Also, his brain was of course highly intricate to work with. If anyone else than me and Lillian had done it, it wouldn't have worked. You see, Lillian is an amazing alchemist. She managed to use her life force to make sure that each transmutation worked out properly. You could say that Edward is our life's work."

Roy was stunned. These people were absolutely insane, yet they had managed to do something so ridiculously advanced. Roy had to say that Ed was lucky to even be alive. Just one wrong calculation, and he would have been dead. He would have ended up like the other children.

"How is your wife not dead, then?"

"That's easy. With the other children, she used their life force instead. But we didn't want to shorten our son's life. Lillian made a great sacrifice, she will be lucky to reach the age of forty. All for our son."

"So you dared to decide that you would just steal the lives of more than twenty children?!"

"Thirty-four. All worth it for our son. You will let me see him, right?"

That was the final straw.

Roy grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, slamming him against the table three times before he threw him to the floor. He beat him and he kicked him and he didn't care that his knuckles were bleeding. "**YOU BASTARD! WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT?! HE IS NOT YOUR SON, NOT NOW OR EVER! YOU STOLE HIS LIFE FROM HIM! FROM HIS BROTHER! _FROM ME!_ YOU ARE A MONSTER! YOU TORTURED HIM FOR FOUR DAYS STRAIGHT! YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO SEE HIM AGAIN! DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM YOUR SON! YOU WILL BURN IN HELL FOR WHAT YOU DID!**"

Roy was roaring at the end, not even able to put his anger and his anguish into words.

"Sir."

Roy was standing over the barely breathing man. Blood was flowing from his own knuckles, his breathing heavy. Hawkeye had put a hand on his left arm.

"Sir, he's had enough."

"There isn't anything in this world that would be sufficient punishment for that monster," Roy said, stepping away and leaving the room. Hawkeye knew him well enough to leave him alone for now.

Roy walked down the hallway until he came to a broom closet. There was hardly anything in there, it was supposed to be rebuilt as a supply room instead. All that was left was a broom and a bucket as well as a shelf with a single roll of toilet paper. Roy slid down the wall, gripping his hair with both hands, unable to stop the single tear from running down his right cheek.

They had lost him.

They had lost Fullmetal.

He was gone.

He had lost his youngest subordinate. Just because of one stupid mistake. Just because of a fucking dust cloud.

Another tear ran down his left cheek.

It was Roy's fault. All his fault. He should have gone with him. He should have done something. Anything. He had failed Fullmetal. Because fact was, even though Edward would grow up at some point, he wouldn't become the Fullmetal he knew. Because the boy he knew had been shaped by events that hadn't happened and would never happen to Edward.

Life had kept giving Fullmetal hell ever since his father left him. And the last things that he had known were most likely pain and fear. And he hadn't deserved it, any of it. He may have been stubborn and frankly insubordinate, but he was a good kid. A great one actually.

And Roy didn't even tell him so. Not once.

The last thing he had said to him had been "Yes, Fullmetal, you're free to leave." And he had said it in a tired, annoyed voice, because he had thought that he was safe. He had thought that he would see him again. Talk to him again.

But no.

Roy gave a loud shout and punched his right fist into the plaster wall beside him. Both his hands were bleeding a lot, his shirt was spattered with blood, some his, some not.

He drew his fist back, ready to punch the wall again, trying to get an outlet for some of the anger and the anguish that he felt. Another tear found its way down his face.

"Roy? Riza said that you might want to talk to me." It was Edward. He was wearing his new clothes, dungarees with a red sweater underneath.

Roy let his hand fall to his side as the boy walked over to him.

"Why are you crying?" Edward looked at Roy's bleeding knuckles and dried away the tears himself.

Roy gripped his wrists gently and held the small, warm hands against his cheeks. "Edward, do you hate me?"

The golden eyes locked onto his. "No," he said simply, sliding his hands out of Roy's. He then went over to the shelf and took the single roll of toilet paper into his hands and sat down in front of Roy. He took his right hand and held it up in front of him. Then he began rolling toilet paper around his bleeding knuckles. He did the same to his left hand.

"You're sorry for me, aren't you?" Edward said.

"I just realised that you grew up to be a really great kid despite what happened, but I never said it to you. I'm just sorry that I never got to see Fullmetal grow up any further."

It felt sort of okay to say it to Ed. He wouldn't have been able to say it to anyone else, but this little kid was just what he needed right now.

"I'm sorry that I won't be the same. Riza told me. You can't get me back to normal."

"You shouldn't apologise. It's not your fault. And I think that you'll be just as great."

Edward stood up and sat himself down on his lap, putting his arms around his waist. "Thanks."

Roy gave him a tight hug.

No, Fullmetal wasn't dead. He was gone, yes. But at least there was Edward. Roy wasn't going to fail him too. He wasn't going to fail him a second time.

"Edward, how would you like it if you and Alphonse came to live with me?"

Roy had spoken without thinking. He had just said it.

But really, it was the only option if they wanted to keep him safe. He couldn't just go back to Resembool, and besides, they still needed to find the Philosopher's Stone in order to get Al back into his body. Roy was one of the greatest State Alchemists after all, he'd be able to protect him while also look for clues and decipher notes.

And he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he broke his promise about protecting this boy.

Which really just left one option.

Ed was looking at him wide-eyed. "You're keeping your promise."

"Yes, I am. And I mean it. If you ask me, you're my responsibility. I won't fail you again."

"You didn't fail me. You just didn't know and then you saved me from Lillian and Grant. Thank you for that, Roy."

"You know, I don't think I ever heard Fullmetal say "thank you" even once." Roy smiled slightly.

The kid looked confused. "But Mom taught us to be polite."

"I guess you forgot about that. Or maybe you just didn't like me."

"I saw how Al talks to you, there must have been some kind of respect."

Roy just hugged him tighter. "I hope so, Edward, I really hope so."

And so Roy just sat there, holding the boy tight to his chest while trying to sort out his thoughts. Losing Fullmetal had affected him more than he had thought. But hearing it from Grant Penton in that way. Like it didn't matter. Like Fullmetal didn't matter… it just made the loss all the more real to him. The "Hero of the People" was gone. The Fullmetal Alchemist was gone. His annoying little smart-ass subordinate was gone. And it hurt. It hurt so much. Because dammit! He was just a kid! He was just a kid that had had his father run out on him, and the closest thing he had had, had probably been Roy. And Roy had done a piss-poor job of it. He constantly mocked the kid. Teased him. Never gave him a compliment.

He wasn't going to do the same mistake again.

Ed was worth more than that, and Roy was going to give him the childhood that he deserved. Or at least one closer to it.

"Yes," Edward said.

"To what?"

"Yes. I'll come live with you. I trust you. Granny can't protect me, and we need to get Al's body back. So I'll stay with you."

And Roy actually felt cheerful at the thought. And scared as hell.

_Holy shit! Did I just adopt Edward Elric?_

Yet somehow, the only thing that seemed to matter were the peaceful breathing coming from the small boy sitting on his lap with his small arms around his waist.

_I think I did. And it's just as it should be._

Roy was just going to have to read a few books on parenting and get some help from Hawkeye. A lot of help, probably. But it would work out.

Because Roy wasn't failing this boy. Never ever.

He had made a promise to a five-year-old, and you keep those.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we are, Chapter Five!**

**And thank you so much guys once again for your response to this story, it means the world to me! You people rock!**

**And I hope that you agree with my portrayal of Granny Pinako in this chapter, because I can only imagine her to be rather cold and angry towards Roy, which is explained quite quickly.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"Maes? We found Ed." Roy was speaking into the phone, fulfilling his promise about telling the man when they knew something. His knuckles had been bandaged by Hawkeye and Ed bot, seeing as how the kid was very interested in learning how things worked.

"What's wrong, Roy? He's not …"

"No."

"There's something wrong, I can hear it in your voice, Roy, tell me."

"It was all about adopting Ed, the other kids were the lab rats. They transformed him back into his five-year-old self."

"They what?!"

"They kept experimenting on him for four days, trying to sort of reset his memories. They kept injecting him with different sorts of substances, basically torturing him. They didn't even give him anything to drink or eat. Just a fucking IV."

"They did that to a kid?!"

"They kept him tied up and, god, Hughes, seeing those needle marks on his neck and down his spine, it's just sickening. There must have been about thirty of them up and down that small back."

"God, how is he?"

"Doing surprisingly well, but he is terrified of needles."

"Of course. Is there any way to turn him back?"

"No … Fullmetal's gone."

"Roy, I know you, you can't blame yourself for this."

"How can I not, Hughes? We failed him. All because we didn't think that there were two of them!"

"Roy, blame the bastards that killed over twenty children."

"Thirty-four."

"What, Roy?"

"It was thirty-four children. Grant Penton told me. We managed to capture him after they came back for Ed, but his wife is still at large."

Hughes cursed at the other end. "So what are you going to do about Ed?"

Roy sighed, not because he didn't like Ed, quite the contrary. No, because Hughes would immediately turn into "Superdad" the moment Roy told him. "He's going to live with me. Him and Alphonse. That way I can make sure to protect him from the people who won't mind getting back at the Fullmetal Alchemist whether he's five or fifteen."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Then. "That's so amazing, Roy! I always told you that you were cut out for fatherhood! Congratulations! Now all you have to do is hook up with Riza and – !"

Roy hung up the phone.

* * *

"So I guess you're my big little brother, then?" Ed said to Al.

They were sitting cross-legged on the floor and Ed had finally decided on what he was going to view Al as.

The armour chuckled. "So you still see me as your little brother?"

Ed crossed his arms. "Yes."

"Then I guess you're still my big brother, although I'm really your older brother now."

Ed felt horrified at the thought.

"No, because I've still been alive longer than you."

Alphonse chuckled again.

"Are you humouring me?" Ed asked, suspicious at all the chuckling and smiling that he was receiving.

"No, Brother, it's just that you're a lot different from how you were at fifteen."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you swore a lot. And you kept calling the Colonel "bastard." You're just not so hardened by the world, I guess."

Ed honestly didn't know what to think about that.

Then Roy came back inside the office. He looked surprised to find Ed sitting there. "Edward? Should you still be awake?"

"I didn't wanna sleep without knowing where you were." Ed was scared when Roy wasn't there. He trusted Al and Riza and the rest, but Roy was the one who had said that he'd always be there to protect him. And so Ed didn't want to fall asleep not knowing where to find him. Also, Roy was the closest thing to a parent that Ed had right now, and he needed that.

Roy's face softened slightly and he came over and lifted Ed up into his arms. Ed put his arms around his neck, hugging him. "Then we're both going to get some sleep right now." He carried Ed over to the couch, and then he lay down, still holding Ed to his chest.

Ed heard clanking and soon had a blanket covering him and Roy. "Thanks, Al."

"Good night, Brother."

"Good night, Al."

Ed snuggled up against Roy's chest, ending up with resting his head against his right shoulder. Roy held him tightly and Ed felt warm and safe, and so he soon fell asleep.

* * *

Roy was slightly confused when he woke up. Why was there a child lying on his chest?

Then he remembered.

Then he felt the pain of losing his youngest subordinate settle in his stomach.

Edward shifted where he lay and a small, warm hand was placed on Roy's neck. The little boy was truly a sweet kid. And such a big comfort to Roy right now. He was a reminder that Fullmetal wasn't dead. Gone, but not dead.

_And I think I sort of became his father yesterday…_

Roy felt a bit panicky at the thought.

But then he felt that warm little hand on his neck and knew that it would be alright.

Well, at least he was going to do a damn better job than Hohenheim.

For both boys.

They deserved that.

Then suddenly the office door was slammed open and a blonde girl was standing there with a wrench in her hand. "I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE MAN WHO DID THIS IS!"

Ed had woken up and was clinging to Roy's shirt, obviously afraid of another attack.

The blonde locked eyes on Roy, and on the shivering bundle on his chest. Then tears began streaming down her cheeks. Roy quickly recognised the symptoms of teenage heartbreak. Add in the fact that they had been childhood friends, and there was no wonder that she fell to her knees, looking lost.

A tiny, old lady came into the room, and Roy recognised her as Pinako Rockbell. She put a hand on Winry's shoulder before she looked over at Roy and the frankly terrified boy still clinging to his shirt, his head still turned away from the incoming threat.

Pinako smiled sadly. "Hello, Ed."

The boy stopped cowering and turned his head around slowly. "Granny?"

"Yes."

Ed sat up and slid down to the floor before he walked over to the old woman and hugged her. Then he turned around to the sobbing girl, tapping her shoulder. "Winry?"

She turned around quickly and stared at him. "Hi, Ed," she said, holding back tears.

"Why are you crying?"

"It's just … a lot … to take in, you know." She started drying her tears away.

Roy stood up and nodded at Hawkeye, knowing that it was probably a good idea to leave the four of them alone. They left the inner office and stood waiting outside, where Fuery, Breda and Falman were working. Or trying to.

Roy sighed deeply, but that was all the emotion that he showed. Fact was, seeing the two Rockbells was hard. Pinako was keeping up a strong façade for Ed, but Roy could see how much it had hurt her to see him.

Roy knew that the old woman had known the Elrics since they were born and was something like a grandmother to them. She had been their guardian since their mother died. Then Roy had been supposed to look after them for the last two-and-a-half years. And look where it had brought them.

And so Roy just stood there, leaning his back against the wall. He must have been standing there like that for at least an hour when the door to the inner office was opened and Pinako came out.

"I'm going to fetch what I need in the infirmary," she stated.

"I'll take you there," Roy offered.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd rather go on my own."

"You sure?"

She turned and looked directly at him, and Roy could see the anger that the woman held. "You know, Colonel Mustang, I ought to slug you. When you came to our house four years ago, you remember what you said? You said that the military would give them an opportunity to get their bodies back. Instead he lost the last ten years of his life and the ability to help his brother. When he joined the military, he was dead set on it because of your little speech, and look what it got him. That boy trusted you to look after him, trusted the military, and he's just lucky he didn't have the same fate as my son and his wife."

"Miss Rockbell, I – " Roy didn't even know what to say, but he was cut off.

"And now he tells me that he's going to live with you, because, for some unknown reason, he still trusts both you and the military. If you fail that boy again, I –"

"I won't. Never."

"I have a hard time trusting you, but it's the boys' choice. And Al needs his body back. But if any of them get hurt, then I don't know what I am going to do."

"I won't let it happen, you have my word."

The woman scoffed. "Ed asked me to get you. I suggest you go inside and keep your promise to that boy. You owe him that." Then she walked off.

Roy felt horrible. And it was completely deserved.

"Sir? Are you alright?" Hawkeye asked.

"She's right, you know. I'm the one that got him in this mess in the first place."

"Sir – "

For the first time in his life, Roy ignored Hawkeye's words. He just went back into the inner office, finding Ed Al and Winry sitting on the couch, looking at pictures. Ed looked up at Roy's entrance before he jumped off the couch and went over to him, staring up at him with those golden eyes.

"You're sad again."

Usually Roy would have been mortified by having someone point out a thing like that, but Roy had sort of let go of his pride in favour of making this kid as happy as possible. "Yes. But it'll be alright."

Edward looked down. "It's about me again. I'm sorry if Granny made you feel bad."

Once again, Roy was reminded of how different this child got from losing his mother and the events that followed. Roy kneeled down in front of him. "It's okay. She's allowed to be sad too."

"But I don't like it. I don't want you to be sad." He stepped forwards and placed his hands around Roy's neck, hugging him. "Please don't be sad."

Roy hugged him back. "Sometimes people are sad because they need to be so that they can be happy later."

"Oh. I see. Then I hope you get happy soon."

Roy was a bit amazed at the fact that the kid didn't question his statement. Surely most five-year-olds would have asked how that works?

_Yes, but this is a boy that already knows how to transmute. He's got an enormous intellect already._

Edward pulled out of the hug and placed a small hand on each of his cheeks. "You need to shave."

Roy couldn't help but laugh slightly before he hugged the boy again. Edward hugged him back, his round, soft cheek resting against Roy's surely itchy one.

"Will you hold me when Granny takes the blood sample?"

"Of course." So that was why he had asked for him.

"Thanks, Roy."

Pinako returned. Roy stood up, lifting Ed in his arms. The boy had his arms around his neck, getting tense and breathing slightly faster. Roy had to say that the old woman scared him, also because he felt like he was suddenly intruding into their lives because of his connection with Ed. He felt uncomfortable around her. He was in some ways stealing her grandson from her, but at the same time, he would just comply with whatever Ed wanted. Right now, making him feel better and feel safe were the most important things to him.

Roy sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He held Edward in his arms, still hugging him. "Edward, it's okay, it's only Miss Rockbell."

The boy was sitting down on his lap, Pinako was standing before them, the needle and a few small test tubes placed on the desk next to her. She was smiling reassuringly at Edward before she gently rolled up his right sleeve. She then fastened a strap around his upper arm. Edward was flinching slightly, head turned towards the needle on the desk. Roy made a split-moment decision. "Alphonse? Please tell Hawkeye to go and buy another sundae. Ed deserves that."

"Yes, of course."

Pinako gave a grunt that Roy thought had a hint of approval to it.

Roy hugged Ed tighter. He had his arms around his waist, holding his left hand with his right, squeezing it reassuringly.

Pinako seemed to have found a vein and was preparing the needle. Edward was whimpering on Roy's lap. "Hey, Ed, it's going to be okay. It's only Granny Pinako, right?"

"Mhm," the boy said nervously.

Ed was gripping his right index finger tightly.

"Okay, Ed, you're going to feel a little prick," Pinako said in a professional manner.

* * *

Ed was scared. He was terrified, actually. Even though he knew that Granny wasn't going to do anything like Lillian and Grant had done. But it was still a needle. And they hurt.

But at least Granny kept professional. He had told her and Winry about how Lillian and Grant had always been stroking his face and hair as they "prepared" him. Telling him how he was "their darling little angel" as they stuck the needles into him.

When nobody told him that, it was easier to believe that it wasn't going to hurt like it had.

And it was good to have Roy there. To have him tell him that it was going to be okay. Lillian and Grant had never done that. They just said that it was "necessary" for his new life to begin. But he didn't want that. And they didn't care. They told him he was "silly" and that he didn't "understand". But they were the ones who didn't understand him. But Roy understood and Granny understood.

And so Ed closed his eyes when the needle stung in his arm without crying like he always did when Lillian and Grant jabbed the needles into him.

He just held onto Roy's finger, squeezing it, using it to remind himself that he was safe. That he was free. That he had a couple of warm hands holding him instead of the cold ropes digging into his wrists when he tried to get loose.

_Remember the ice cream. Grant and Lillian never promised you ice cream. There is power in ice cream, Riza told you so._

And so Ed whispered it to himself as Granny changed test tubes, trying to calm himself down. But he couldn't help his fast breathing or the way he kept clutching Roy's finger harder and harder as his mind kept expecting to feel pain in the rest of his body any moment or the extra stinging that came as the drugs were injected into him.

But it didn't come.

And all of a sudden, granny was pressing a small cotton wad against his skin as she slid the needle out and then fastened it with some tape, stopping the bleeding. Lillian and Grant never did that. They would just clean his back and neck once in a while, usually when they let him out of the chair so that he could pee in the bucket. Then they put him back in the chair again. Always back in the chair and always the needles. He hadn't even told Roy everything about it, because he didn't like to think about it. Also, the things he had told Roy always made Roy sad and angry with himself and Ed didn't want that. Not when Roy was in pain because of what had happened already. Roy was kind to Ed, so Ed was being kind back.

And so when Granny removed the strap around his arm, Ed turned around and hugged Roy, just because it was over and Ed could breathe again. And Roy hugged him back.

"You did really good, Ed. I'm proud of you," both Roy and Granny said at the same time, making Ed laugh because Roy got a funny look on his face.

Ed was actually a bit confused about Roy and what he thought about him. But just a bit.

Because Hohenheim left two years ago, or actually twelve, and Ed didn't really want a Dad after that, but Roy was so much different than that bastard. Roy didn't seem to be afraid to hug him. And that was good. And he was kind and he understood Ed even though Ed obviously hurt him because he reminded him of the old one. He seemed to find Ed to be a comfort though, and so Ed felt like they would help each other instead of Hohenheim's way of distancing himself from him as he got older. So it felt safe to trust Roy. He liked Roy, and Al had seemed positive to living with him too. And Ed valued Al's opinions very highly.

And so he hugged him tighter, pressing his face against his warm chest, receiving a warm hand resting against the back of his head.

And then the phone on Roy's desk rang and Roy picked it up. "This is Colonel Roy Mustang."

Then he suddenly stiffened. "Yes, Sir … Of course, Sir … We will do so … See you then, Sir … Have a good day, Sir."

Roy put down the receiver.

"Who was that?" Ed asked, looking up at him.

"Führer Bradley has requested a meeting with you, me and Alphonse. We're taking a train to Central tomorrow."

* * *

**And, just as an author's note here at the end, I just have to add that I'm writing this on my iPhone, so it keeps suggesting words based on the first few letters that I write, and so I find it both highly amusing and slightly unnerving that it keeps suggesting Granny Piñata instead...**

**And it doesn't really help that she's only about a metre tall...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much to every reader, reviewer, favouriter and follower! You people make my day!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Roy sat down inside the train compartment as Alphonse sat down in the seat opposite him. Ed climbed into the seat beside him and was immediately staring out the window with excitement. "I've never taken a train before, how is it?"

Although Al didn't have any facial expressions to betray him, Roy knew that that comment must have been hard on him. Those boys usually travelled by train at least once a fortnight and had done so ever since Fullmetal had joined the military.

Roy was impressed by how well Al was taking this, or maybe it was just the lack of facial expressions that gave him that impression. Roy was planning to talk to him about it once Ed was asleep. He had always had trouble sleeping on trains anyway, so he might as well be keeping Al company.

After all, when Roy said that he'd be taking in Ed, he was of course taking in his brother as well.

Al was already explaining the wonders of travelling, and Roy had to say that it was funny to see how well the boy was doing with the change of roles. He was talking in a way that wasn't condescending or patronising, he was genuinely good with kids. It was in fact quite entertaining because it also showed him a side of Alphonse Elric that he rarely got to see as he was usually just there to keep Fullmetal in check while also assisting his brother during his missions.

No, it was a weird feeling of both wrong a right at this moment. Because it felt right that he actually got to know the Elric brothers properly, but it was for such a wrong reason.

And Roy did never really get to know Fullmetal…

He could still feel the hurt that that thought brought. And in a way he was glad, because otherwise he truly would have been the bastard that Fullmetal always accused him of being. He couldn't help but wonder if Fullmetal blamed him. Had he been tied to that chair just "cursing the Colonel Bastard for getting him in this mess in the first place"? Or had he just been afraid? Afraid and alone with a couple of people that were fucking experimenting on him.

Hawkeye had told him what the result of his outburst had been. Grant Penton had five broken ribs, internal bleeding, his right arm was broken in two places, he had a severe concussion and a broken nose and jaw. He was currently in a coma while being fed through an IV.

And Roy honestly didn't have any regrets. The last fact actually gave him a sick sort of pleasure. Call it "just desserts" or something. No, he was just sad that the man wasn't awake for the pain. But he would be sometime soon, hopefully.

After a while, even Ed's childish sense of wonder couldn't deny the fact that two hours straight of pastures was downright boring, and he turned towards Al and Roy again. "Can you tell me some stories about our missions? What was I like?"

"Well, there was the East City bank robber," Roy began after thinking a bit about finding something that could be made suitable for a five-year-old.

"Yeah! Tell me about that!" Ed said eagerly, immediately moving from his seat and instead climbed onto Roy's lap. Roy put his arms around him and Ed leaned his head against Roy's right arm, obviously in "story-time mode". Al chuckled warmly at Ed's enthusiasm, most likely recognising something from their childhood.

"Well, it begins with me assigning you a case about a burglar that had targeted a few random buildings but we couldn't really figure out their connection. Some were private homes, others were offices and some were even empty buildings. But he always left a blue scarf on each crime scene, which we don't really know why was other than the fact that they were used as his signature. This was only your second mission, so I thought that it was a good idea to give you something that wasn't necessarily too dangerous just so that you could get used to being in the military. Anyway, so there you were, kicking the door open as usual, looking at me with a grunt. "So what's it now, Colonel?" you asked. And so I told you. You told me that you thought the case was beneath you, but I managed to convince you all the same." Fact was that Roy had threatened him with a court-martial, but he didn't want to let the boy know just how much Roy and Fullmetal had annoyed each other. It might make Edward feel unwanted and that was something Roy wanted to avoid at all costs.

And so Roy and Al told the story to Ed who was steadily growing more and more tired and it was about three minutes after they were done with the story that Ed fell asleep in Roy's arms. Roy carefully moved himself over to the window seat and leaned his back against the wall, placing his feet on the bench while shifting Ed so that he could lie more comfortably on his chest. Edward was lying on his side, using Roy's right shoulder as a pillow, his right arm lying in front of him, resting above Roy's heart.

"Are you going to sleep too, Colonel?" Al asked him.

"No. I've never been able to sleep on trains much." Roy gave him a smile. "And you know, Al, now that you're going to be living with me and I'm no longer your brother's superior, you may as well call me Roy."

"Oh, okay."

"But Al, I've been wondering, how are you doing with all this? You're definitely the one who has lost the most here."

Roy glanced over at his own bandaged knuckles. The effect this had had on him wasn't exactly small, but at least he wasn't Ed's brother.

"I d-don't know. It's hard, you know."

"You know you can tell me, right? When I said that I would be taking you two in, I really meant both of you. Which means that if you want to talk, I'm here for you."

Al was silent for a few seconds. "You're hurting, too, aren't you? Lieutenant Hawkeye told me what you did to Penton. I never really knew that you cared about Brother that much."

Roy decided that he would be honest with him. He couldn't expect Alphonse to just trust him without there being any trust back. And if Roy was actually going to be this boy's father figure, then they needed to build a foundation of trust first.

Roy was actually quite scared about all of this. He had a lot of new feelings and thoughts surrounding the Elrics and his own life, but while a large part of him was panicking, a small part was actually happy. The part of him that wanted a family. That wanted children of his own. And now he was taking in a pair of kids that were highly intelligent, warm-hearted and genuinely great boys. And it made him feel lucky.

And it made him scared that he wasn't ready for this at all. What if he screwed up? What if he wasn't worth the pair of them?

Well, it sort of helped that Hohenheim had set the bar pretty low…

"Roy? I'm sorry, I guess that's not something you want to talk about…" Alphonse said at Roy's lack of an answer.

"No, I just got lost in thought. Sorry, Alphonse." Roy hugged Ed closer to him, drawing some strength from the small boy. He sighed deeply. "Yes, I'm hurting. And to be honest, I didn't really know how much I cared either. Not until Penton told me that we couldn't get Fullmetal back. And I'm sorry about how we mostly spent our time just insulting each other. I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better. I'm sorry that your brother only ever saw me as an annoying bastard and little else. And I'm sorry that I didn't take care of him like I should have. Like he deserved. I'm so sorry, Alphonse. So sorry."

"Can I ask you why you are taking us in?"

"Because, Alphonse, I care about the two of you. And you need someone to protect you. To help you. And I would like to be that person. I would like to get to know the two of you better. You both deserve that. I want to see you get your body back and I want to see you and Ed grow up in a way that you should."

"I see. Thank you, Roy." Alphonse hung his head with a clank. He sat like that for about a minute until he spoke again. "I'm scared. Brother has always been the oldest and has always taken care of me, so losing him … And he's so different. He really sort of shut himself off when Mom died, he got a lot angrier after that. Although never at me. I guess he felt like he needed to protect me and he couldn't do that if he let himself be "weak". But this is before that and it's so odd to see him being so dependent on an adult again. But it kind of makes me happy to see how much at peace he seems."

"I can understand that. Very well."

"But it also makes it feel like I've lost so much of my Big Brother. Because I got used to it. I got used to him being angry at the world. And he's just so much more innocent. And he's lost all those years that we had together. I just don't know how to feel." His voice nearly broke at that last word. Roy acted instinctively and shifted Ed so that he could hold him securely with his left hand as he reached out his right and placed it on Al's head.

"It's okay, Al, neither do I."

* * *

It was raining when they arrived in Central. A lot. Roy kept holding Ed's hand as they walked through the train station as it was easy to get lost. Ed was adamant that he wanted to walk through Central and over to HQ, and it was really just a fifteen-minute walk anyway, so they paused at a bench and pulled out Ed's raincoat and boots. They were both red. Roy found himself his umbrella and Alphonse volunteered to carry the suitcases. And so they left the train station, Edward still holding Roy's hand. The walk was quiet and Ed was fascinated and slightly intimidated by the city and the people. They did attract a few curious glances, and Roy sort of understood why. Here he was, fully dressed in his uniform walking hand-in-hand with a five-year-old while accompanied by a seven-feet tall suit of armour.

They reached HQ and had an-hour-and-a-half before their appointment with Führer Bradley, so Roy decided that they might as well go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Ed still ate a tonne and Roy had no idea where it all went, but he wasn't going to deny the boy food as long as he didn't get fat from it.

And so Roy stacked up the tray and carried it over to a table, nodding at a couple of officers that he knew from his days in the Academy. The cafeteria was full of officers as it was lunchtime, which was how he somehow managed to overlook the fact that Major Armstrong was in front of them before it was too late to warn Ed.

In a second, the behemoth had swooped down on the small boy and lifted him out of his seat and into his bone-crushing hug. "OH, EDWARD ELRIC! MY HEART HAS BEEN CONGESTED WITH GRIEF EVER SINCE I HEARD OF YOUR FATE!"

"ROY! HELP!" the boy shrieked, obviously afraid that this was another kidnapping attempt.

Roy was on his feet instantly. "Major Armstrong, please release him, remember what he's been through!"

Armstrong froze. "Oh!" Then he handed the shivering boy back to Roy who instantly clutched him to his chest and was soothing him.

"Ed, it's okay, it's just Major Armstrong, he's not here to hurt you."

"He took me!" he cried, clearly getting flashbacks to the incident at East HQ.

Roy sat back down and kissed his forehead, trying to calm him down. "He's just been worried about you, he knew you from before. He won't take you away from me." Roy knew he was getting a lot of funny looks from the officers around him and Armstrong was apologising loudly and profusely, but Roy was just focusing on getting Ed to calm down. He held him tightly against his chest, stroking his back. "It's okay, you're safe. You're safe and no one is going to take you."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Roy kissed his forehead again. He had no idea where he had it from, but it just felt instinctively right to do it to calm the child down.

Which just had to be when he saw the flash of the camera.

Roy groaned inwardly.

"Aww! Roy! There you see, you're a natural at parenting!" Hughes said, sitting down on the bench in front of them.

Edward had frozen again and Roy was frankly getting angry with them for scaring Ed like this. "Hughes! Give it a rest! And stop scaring him!"

Roy was glaring at his friend, who instantly wiped his smile off his face. "Sorry, Roy."

"Hey, Ed, it's okay. He's just a bit eccentric."

Edward was still clutching the front of Roy's uniform, but was slowly turning his head towards the newcomers.

Hughes began smiling fatherly at him. "Hi, Edward, I'm Maes, I'm Roy's best friend."

"Hi."

Things went slightly easier after that and both Hughes and Armstrong managed to control themselves so that they didn't frighten Ed that much. Ed still seemed a little shaky after Armstrong's embrace, and so Al volunteered to buy him an ice cream.

And so Roy, Ed and Al were left sitting in a steadily emptying cafeteria as the lunch break ended and Hughes and Armstrong had left for the office. When there were ten minutes left until their appointment, they went to the Führer's office and were sent in almost immediately.

Führer Bradley was sipping tea at a small, round table and smiled broadly at them. "Ah, Colonel Mustang, Elric brothers, please have a seat."

Roy sat down and Ed climbed onto his lap rather than sitting down on the chair next to him.

Bradley smiled at them. "Would any of you like some tea?"

"Thank you, Sir, but we just ate."

"Very well, then. Let's get straight to business. We need to decide what to do with this situation. Edward Elric's state licence has of course already been revoked, so the boy is no longer any part of the military. However, there is the issue of the fact that he is still in danger of attacks because of his previous reputation and the number of people that he has arrested. We cannot just let him go back to his place of residence in Resembool. I therefore have a proposal for the three of you." Bradley took another sip of his tea before he continued. "As you seem to have grown rather close to the boy, Colonel Mustang, we want to assign you the task of guarding Edward Elric and his brother until it is no longer deemed necessary. As they do not have an official guardian, you will assume that role yourself. The necessary paperwork is right here, ready for you to sign. You will of course receive compensation from the state." He paused, his eye suddenly staring sternly at them. "Further on, I know for a fact that Edward Elric and his brother were researching into the Philosopher's Stone, and I would ask you to continue with that research as it could be very useful for the military. I am therefore relieving you of your normal duties, although you will of course retain your rank. Any questions?"

Roy had to say that it was better than he could have hoped. "No, Sir. I accept the terms. I only have one request. Would it be possible for First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye to be assigned to this mission too? I cannot help but feel that it would be safer with two officers guarding the boys and she has also gained Edward's trust."

Bradley seemed to ponder it for a few seconds. "Very well, Colonel Mustang, you have a valid point and so I will do as you ask. She will be reassigned by tomorrow. Now, if you would sign the necessary forms you will be declared the legal guardian of Edward and Alphonse Elric."

* * *

When they left the office twenty minutes later, Roy was very pleased with how things had gone. He had basically been assigned to research the way to get Al's body back, he was both boys' legal guardian, and he would have Hawkeye by his side as well, which had been a major concern for him up until now. With Hawkeye still under his charge, he would easily be able to keep up with Havoc, Falman, Fuery and Breda as well because of her organisational skills.

And so Roy felt that things had indeed gone very well as they stepped out into the rain and walked through the park as they headed to the military hotel they were staying at.

"Roy? What's for dinner?" Ed asked.

Roy didn't get to answer however, as a voice spoke from behind him.

"Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist?"

Roy turned around quickly, his eyes falling upon a man with a large scar on his face standing a metre away from them. "Can I help you?"

"Foolish alchemists who have strayed from the ways of God, shall all be punished," the man said and raised his right hand.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we go, chapter seven!**

**And once again THANK YOU so much for the amazing response to this story, guys!**

**I got a question after the last chapter whether I would write the story about the Blue Scarf Burglar, and I'm not sure yet, depends on whether I get an idea for it or not.**

**And also, I would just like to give a special thanks to the guest reviewer known as "Kelly" for inspiring the end of this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Roy recognised the scar from the descriptions Maes had given him over the phone, and he instantly pulled out his gun. The serial killer known as "Scar" dodged, but jumped backwards and behind a rock. Roy grabbed Ed's hand and began running, Al following. With the way it was raining, Roy couldn't use his ignition gloves, which meant that he only had his gun to rely on. Which also meant that he needed backup to take this man down. "Al, take Ed and tell the MPs that the State Alchemist killer is – "

Scar somehow destroyed the ground beneath their feet. Al managed to dodge it, but both Ed and Roy fell. Roy grabbed the kid, trying to shield him and felt something sharp pierce the flesh of the upper part of his right arm as he hit the ground hard. "Al! Get the MPs!" Roy shouted, shooting another couple of shots straight at Scar to get him further away before he looked Ed over. The boy had tears in his eyes and a cut on his forehead, but that was it. Roy got to his feet and began dragging Ed with him.

Then they reached a set of stairs but Scar destroyed it when they were halfway down and Roy stumbled forwards about two metres before dropping about the same distance while crumbling stone fell around him. Ed had managed to cling onto the broken railing, hanging about three metres above the ground.

Shit.

And to top it off, Roy had managed to get his right foot trapped in a heap of rubble, so he couldn't move whether he wanted to or not.

"Roy Mustang, I will give you a minute to pray to God," Scar said, walking slowly towards him, right arm ready to basically destroy him from the inside out. Roy was just afraid of what would happen to Ed, his grip was slipping, and if there was one thing he didn't want Ed to see, it was Roy's murder.

Or even worse, that the boy would plunge to his death.

Then Ed suddenly stopped struggling as he saw the same thing that Roy did, Scar was about to walk right underneath where he was hanging, but surely Ed wouldn't be that stupid…

"DON'T KILL HIM!" Ed shouted as he fell onto Scar's head where he quickly sat himself on his shoulders and covered his eyes with his hands, making the murderer fall to the ground as he stumbled from the impact.

The kid was obviously quite good at calculating other people's moves already.

Or he was just damn lucky.

Ed fell off the man as they hit the ground, but he quickly scrambled over to him and sat down on his chest.

"EDWARD! GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Roy shouted, panicking at the boy's actions.

Scar seemed slightly confused by it all, and, thankfully, unwilling to kill an innocent five-year-old. "Move away, boy. My only business is with State Alchemists." He tried to push him off, but Ed just grabbed his jacket and clung onto it.

"THEN DON'T KILL HIM! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ROY!"

"Get off."

"No! If you're going after alchemists, then you might as well take me first!"

"You are not a State Alchemist. Now move." He sat up, and Roy had to say that he was impressed by Edward's persistence. The boy had obviously seen which arm Scar attacked with, because he was clinging onto it with both his arms and his legs.

"But I was! I was just two weeks ago! I'm Edward Elric!"

"EDWARD! STOP IT! JUST RUN!" Roy was getting scared. If Ed managed to convince Scar of his true identity, then he was as good as dead.

"Get off, boy." Scar was trying to shove the boy off.

"I won't let you kill him! I WON'T! I ALREADY LOST MOM THIS WEEK! YOU'RE NOT TAKING ROY TOO!"

Roy could have sworn he saw Scar pause for a moment.

"Please don't kill him!" Roy could hear that the boy's anger had now just been replaced by fear, and Edward was obviously crying.

Scar didn't move. He was just staring at the boy.

Then a shot rang out and Scar had a bullet lodge itself in his left arm. He growled and then his right hand glowed with energy as he destroyed part of the ground beneath him, and him and Ed fell downwards and into the sewers.

Roy heard Ed shout as he disappeared into a cloud of smoke and Roy could have sworn his heart stopped.

"EDWARD!"

The rubble covering Roy's leg slid off it as the ground beneath his feet crumbled and a couple of MPs pulled him backwards at the last second so that he didn't fall down too.

"EDWARD! DAMMIT! ANSWER ME! EDWARD!" Roy shouted, panicking.

A large amount of officers were pointing their flashlights down the sewers.

"BROTHER! BROTHER!" Alphonse shouted as he came running to the scene.

"Hello?" came a small voice from down in the sewers.

"EDWARD! ARE YOU HURT?!" Roy and Alphonse demanded at the same time.

"I don't think so, but the man got away. Can someone get me out of here?"

Al had already made a transmutation circle and Roy was soon climbing down the newly transmuted ladder.

"Edward? Where are you?" Roy asked the minute he had climbed down the ladder and his eyes were frantically searching the area. It was hard to see much.

"I'm over here. I lost my boots."

Roy pointed his flashlight to his right and found Ed sitting on the ground, shivering. He had indeed lost his boots and he began crying the moment he saw Roy. Roy ran over to him and picked him up into his arms, holding him against his chest, kissing the top of his head. The relief of finding Ed safe and unhurt was flooding his entire body.

"Don't ever do something like that again!" Roy said.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't let him kill you." Ed was crying into Roy's shoulder as he carried him over to the ladder. As they reached the top, a pair of steel arms suddenly pulled the two of them out of the hole completely.

"Are you okay? Col – Roy! You're hurt!" Alphonse exclaimed.

"I'm fine, Al, it's just a cut," Roy said. He hadn't noticed before now, but the cut in his arm was obviously bigger than he had originally thought, judging by how he had blood staining a large part of his right sleeve.

"Roy! Are you fine? How's Ed?" Hughes came striding over to them. He took one look at Roy's arm. "You need to get that looked at, there's an ambulance over there."

And so Roy followed him, Ed still clutching the front of his uniform.

They sat down in the back of the ambulance and the paramedic moved to have a look at his arm, but Roy refused. "Check that he's fine first." He gently pried open Ed's grip and turned him around so that he could be examined first.

Fortunately, the boy was fine, just cold and soaked as well as the cut on his forehead, but with that bandaged, it was Roy's turn. Which proved to be harder than he had thought it would be, because Ed refused to let go of him. And so he ended up sitting bare-chested with a five-year-old on his lap as the paramedic sowed up the cut on his arm and applied the bandages.

And Hughes was of course nearly swooning over the "cuteness".

* * *

Ed was still clinging to Roy's neck as they opened the door to their hotel room. "Okay, Ed, let's get you warmed up with a hot bath," Roy said gently as he carried the shivering boy into the bathroom. He put him down on the bathroom tiles and removed his soggy clothes. They all landed on the floor with a sound not unlike a "plap". He then removed his own soggy and blood-stained uniform jacket and shirt and threw them in the same pile before he lifted Ed up by his armpits and placed him in the bathtub. He turned on the water and waited until it was a comfortable temperature before he plugged it in order to let the warm water fill up around Ed. Ed put his hand under the tap, letting the water flow up and down over his arm, and he grinned at Roy.

Roy was leaning his elbows on the edge of the tub and smiled back at him. "So the temperature feels okay?"

"It's perfect."

"Good."

Roy had to say that he wasn't completely in his element here, he had never given a kid a bath before. He had helped Ed get cleaned up before they left East HQ, but that had merely been with a washcloth and some soap. No, this was far more daunting. This was a parenting thing, and it scared Roy. Besides, he couldn't help but feel slightly awkward at the fact that the boy was naked. But at the same time, Edward was five, Roy was his legal guardian and so it couldn't be helped.

Which meant that he was lost except for what he had read in a book that Hawkeye got him about how you shouldn't leave small children on their own in the bathtub in case they drowned.

_So, I'm staying here, that's step one._

_Step two: foam bath._

Roy poured in some of the contents of the blue bottle he had bought back in East City that had promised that it was especially mild to the skin and was therefore recommended for small children. The foam began building up immediately.

_Good. So, step three: talking/playing with the child._

"Okay, Edward. I need you to promise me that you won't ever try to protect me like you did earlier. You could have been killed."

"But then he would have killed you! I couldn't let him do that!" Roy saw tears pressing at the corners of his eyes just at the thought.

Because, fact was, the boy was absolutely right. If Edward hadn't distracted Scar for as long as he had, then Roy would have been dead.

And then he would have failed Ed once again.

And so Roy sighed heavily and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, Ed." Roy could feel the boy's tears running down his left shoulder.

"Don't get yourself killed. Promise me."

"I promise."

"Good." Then the boy surprised him as he placed a quick kiss on his left cheek before he resumed the hug.

And it made Roy feel oddly warm. It made him happy in a different way than he had experienced before. It was the same part of him that had felt like he couldn't breathe the moment he saw Ed disappear into the sewers with Scar.

And Roy couldn't help but feel slightly surprised by how easily they had trusted each other considering their history. But then, Roy had had a week to feel the panic rising before they found him. And Ed needed him. That was very clear to him.

And Roy needed him too.

No, they were going to find this out little by little. Him, Ed and Al.

After all, they were officially family as of today.

* * *

Sneaking into the hospital really was too easy. These stupid humans let him go wherever he wanted just because of a uniform.

But still, this better pay off. They had lost a sacrifice, or at least they couldn't be sure if the kid could be used anymore because of this mess. How the hell Wrath could let this happen, he had no idea. He was the leader of the entire country, yet he somehow managed to let the pipsqueak get kidnapped and turned into a fucking baby!

And so it fell to Envy to interrogate one of the psychos that had done it because there might be a chance that they had seen the Portal judging by their alchemy skills.

He went inside the room that belonged to Grant Penton and locked the door behind him. The man in the bed was a mess. The Flame Colonel really had done his work on him, but at least he was awake, and that was all that Envy needed right now.

"Are you here to let me see my son?" the man asked, hardly moving his jaws.

"No, but tell you what, I'll give him to you if you tell me something." Of course he wasn't really going to do that, there was no reason that he should do anything for these worms after all.

"What do you want to know?"

"You and your wife, did any of you perform human transmutation? There's no reason not to say so, after what you did to the Fullmetal pipsqueak, there's no way to make your sentence any worse."

"Will you bring me my son if I tell you?"

"Sure."

"Lillian did. She used the life of one of our first subjects to pay the toll. She used the information to make the preparation of our son possible."

Great. So they lost the pipsqueak and now they needed to track down the psychobitch instead. Envy sighed. He had a phone call to make.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here we go, chapter eight!**

**And I still can't thank you guys enough for your response to this story! I hope it continues to live up to your expectations.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Ed was uncomfortable. This little girl in front of him had declared him to be her "Big Brother" after two minutes and she wanted him to play shop with her.

But Ed didn't want to play shop.

He just wasn't sure if he dared to tell her that.

Then she wanted him to wear an apron with the fake-shop logo on it.

Which was when Ed crossed his arms.

"No."

"But Big Brother!"

"No. I don't wanna play shop."

"I'll play shop with you!" Al said, chuckling.

"Yay!"

Ed left Elicia's bedroom and went back downstairs and to the kitchen where Roy was talking to Maes and Gracia.

"Oh! Ed! Is something wrong?" Maes asked.

"Don't wanna play shop."

"Then what do you want to do then?" Maes asked with a smile.

"Don't know."

Ed felt weird being around other kids his age. They were the same, but also different. Alphonse had been alright because he too knew how to transmute and could read and write. But normally kids can't do that, and they play shop and princesses and families and stuff, but that wasn't really what Ed liked.

And he still didn't like not to be in the same room as Roy. Al was big and strong and practically invincible and he was his brother, but the problem was that Ed felt like he still needed to protect him. Besides, Ed still wasn't used to Al's new body and every time he looked at him, Ed felt a little guilty and sometimes it made him want to cry about Mom and then it was easier when Roy was there.

And this was one of those times. It sort of came in waves and Ed couldn't control when they came over him.

And so Ed went over to Roy and Roy obviously saw what was going on and he lifted him onto his lap and held his arms around him. Ed buried his face into his shirt and just let himself be sad just like Roy had told him that you sometimes needed to be so that you could be happy later.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Maes asked, but Ed didn't want to answer.

"Maes, just remember what he's lost these last few days," Roy said.

It was okay that Roy said it. If Roy could say it then it meant that Maes and Gracia would understand it.

Ed liked how much Roy understood him. Al had told him that he thought that Ed and Roy were pretty similar sometimes. Ed didn't really know how they were the same, but he'd figure it out if it was important.

Right now, however, it was more than enough just to keep himself from sobbing. Ed missed Mom and he missed Al although he was still here. He missed having a small little brother. He missed how simple his life had been and he missed Resembool. The big cities were interesting but they became too big sometimes and Ed didn't like it. And his life had been ripped so violently from him. And fact was that Ed was still afraid that Lillian would suddenly come after him and take him back to the hospital and tie him to the chair and stick more needles into him. Ed never wanted to go back there.

"Hey, Ed, do you want to go back to the hotel?" Roy asked calmly.

"No. I just miss Mom."

"It's okay. You're allowed to hurt."

Ed just nodded, his tears staining Roy's shirt.

* * *

They left Hughes' house at eight o'clock, Ed needed to get back to bed after all. Roy was carrying him on his shoulders as the boy was tired. Tomorrow they'd be leaving for Dublith as Alphonse had figured that their teacher may have heard something useful about the Stone. Also, despite his fear of her, Al still felt that she deserved to know about Ed. They just needed to wait for Hawkeye to arrive in the morning.

Roy was slightly anxious about meeting Izumi Curtis. Al was absolutely terrified of her, yet he also seemed to care about her, so Roy didn't really know what to think about it. He knew that the woman had left the boys on an uninhabited island for a month to try and survive by day while being attacked by a man with a club by night. He also knew that she had a tendency to throw knives and probably needed some anger management classes. What worried him most, though, was her view of "the dogs of the military".

But surely she wouldn't attack a Colonel, would she?

_Only time will tell…_

They got back to the hotel and Roy helped the half-conscious Ed brush his teeth and change into his pyjamas. When Roy was done himself, he found Ed awake, sitting on his bed, looking up at him.

"What's wrong, Edward?"

"Can I sleep with you?"

Ed hadn't been able to sleep in his own bed ever since they found him. Roy could understand why, it was nearly impossible not to have nightmares after what he had been through, and to be five and having to deal with them alone wasn't exactly fun. Roy gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course."

The boy immediately got up from his bed and walked over to Roy's and sat down. Roy sat down beside him, putting his left arm around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Ed said with a small voice, looking down.

"Hey, it's okay." Roy hugged him too his side. "One step at a time, right? I'm not going to force you to sleep in your own bed."

Ed gave a small nod. "It's just that when I close my eyes, sometimes I'm back there and Lillian is just smiling at me, holding a needle."

"Don't worry, Ed. It's going to get better little by little." Roy lay down on his side and Ed snuggled up to his chest. Roy put his right arm around him. The cut in his arm ached quite a bit now that he didn't have any adrenaline blocking out the pain, but Roy had had worse injuries before so he didn't really care.

"Night, Roy."

"Good night, Ed."

Alphonse was out for a walk. Roy could understand why, the last days' events must be confusing for him too and he could see how it must be nice to just go through it alone too.

Judging by the steady breathing coming from Ed, the boy was asleep. Roy felt weird. Most of his life had been turned upside down within a week. He now found himself being the legal guardian to the Elric brothers while he had put his own life on hold. But then he considered not going the way he had, and he had to say that he would never be able to live with himself if he had just left the Elrics either a) in another officer's charge where they wouldn't be able to get Al's body back, or b) sent them back to Resembool with the same result. No, the boys were his responsibility, so they were going to make the best out of this, and then Roy would resume his goal of being the Führer after Al got his body back.

And so Roy kissed the top of Ed's head before he let himself fall asleep too.

* * *

Edward woke up as Roy shook his left shoulder gently. It wasn't the first time tonight. He'd been having a lot of nightmares. This time, however, it was because it was morning and they needed to get ready to leave. Ed rubbed his eyes. He was using Roy's left arm as a pillow.

"Good morning, Ed, let's get ready to go, okay? We're meeting Riza at the train station."

"Morning." Ed didn't really want to get out of bed. It was nice and warm and safe. And so Ed lifted his arm so that it rested on Roy's side and hugged him instead. "Don't wanna go. Warm." And Ed closed his eyes again, burying his face in Roy's undershirt, grunting happily.

He could hear Roy scoff, but he knew that he was smiling. "I know, Ed, but I think Riza will be mad with us if we're not there, you know." Roy was still hugging him back though. Ed liked this. He wasn't really familiar with this, but it felt right. Roy was right. He was safe and he understood and he was respectful and he obviously cared. It felt really, really good. He'd never had mornings like this with Hohenheim. Ed had always shared his bedroom with Al, so if any of them had a nightmare, they would just share the same bed. But Al didn't really stay in the room by night anymore. He would go for a walk or read in the lobby. Which meant that Ed didn't have to worry about Al.

Which meant he could just hug Roy and feel warm and safe.

"Okay, Ed. Compromise: how about you have a nice, hot bath while we get ready to go?"

"Hmf."

Roy sighed and pulled the covers off them. Ed grunted again. "Come on." Then he lifted Ed up and carried him to the bathroom. Roy helped him get out of his pyjamas and then lifted him into the bathtub. Ed could really do a lot of this himself, but it felt nice not to have to. Ed sat there as Roy fixed the water and then let the foam and the hot water fill up past his navel. "How's that?"

"Good ... But you know, you would look really funny like – this!" Ed placed a handful of foam on top of Roy's head. Ed laughed at the silliness of Roy's look. "You know what? You look a bit like Falman now."

Roy rolled his eyes. Then he scooped up a handful of foam himself and put it on Ed's head. "Right, now we're even."

"Nah-huh. You took much more than I did! Now I need to fix you again!"

And so Ed and Roy kept putting foam on each other's face and heads, laughing at how stupid they looked. Then suddenly Riza was standing by the open door. "Hello, sir. The train was early and I met Alphonse in the lobby."

Roy froze. Ed had made him a large beard and a hat by now. "Hello, Riza! Look how funny I made Roy!"

Roy looked terrified but turned around slowly. Riza watched him, her eyebrows rising. Then she laughed. Ed had a feeling that she didn't usually laugh, but right now she did. She was giggling behind her left hand.

"Not a word, Lieutenant," Roy said.

"Of course, sir. Edward, you may not want to do that."

Ed froze. He was standing in the tub, his arms full of foam, ready to dump it on Roy's head as he had his back turned. Roy turned around and Ed decided that he would do the next best thing, and threw himself at Roy, jumping out of the bath. He slung his arms around Roy's neck, hugging him as the foam flew about them. Roy caught him so that he didn't hurt himself. Ed just laughed. That had been fun. "I win!"

"Ed, that was dangerous, you shouldn't do that," Roy said.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to do anything dangerous." Ed felt a small lump in his stomach.

Roy immediately hugged him, though. "That's okay, Ed, you didn't know." Roy wasn't angry with him, Ed could hear that. He smiled and hugged him tighter. Roy lifted him back into the tub.

"Well, sir, I'll let you continue," Riza said, closing the bathroom door.

Roy found the washcloth and began scrubbing Ed. It was sort of itchy, but Ed was used to Mom doing this too, so he sat still. Then Roy grabbed the shower head and began washing Ed's hair while also removing the masses of foam. When they were done, Ed stood up in the tub as Roy got the towel and began drying him off. When they were done with that, he helped Ed get dressed which concluded the bathing. Ed hugged him again and then he left the bathroom so that Roy could shower himself.

Riza was talking with Al and Ed went over to them.

"Hello, Riza, was your trip good?"

"Yes, it was Ed." She smiled at him. "I guess that you're ready to head out for Dublith then?"

"Yes."

* * *

**Okay, so I am still pre-manga/Brotherhood, which has made me realise something ... I can save Nina. **

**Only problem is that I need somewhere to put her afterwards. I would sort of like to have Hughes adopt her, but then I will of course not kill him too, and I'm afraid that that will mess up the timeline too much. **

**So then there's of course Izumi, which would also be lovely, but I'm afraid of how long she's expected to live considering her condition, and I am not killing another one of her parents.**

**Or Armstrong would of course "consider it an honour to adopt such a poor child and present to her the raising methods that have been passed down the Armstrong line for GENERATIONS!"**

**So please leave your thoughts on the matter in a review as I would greatly appreciate some suggestions on how to solve this conundrum.**


	9. Chapter 9

**So, first of all, it looks like Nina is going to live with Izumi and Sig, so thanks for the help, guys!**

**Secondly, I would just like to apologise for the cliffhanger...**

**And thirdly, I would just like to say that you people are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for your response to this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Roy was slightly anxious as they reached the Dublith Station. He guessed that he was feeding off the waves coming off of Al. Ed seemed nervous too. No, the only one who was keeping calm was Hawkeye.

They strolled up the many streets, following Alphonse's lead. Ed was sitting on Roy's shoulders as every single pair of shoes that he now owned were new so they had to be careful about chafing. They kept getting curious looks from the people they passed, especially Ed, some of them looked like they were trying to place where they had seen him before.

Then they stopped in front of a butcher shop and Hawkeye took the lead, followed by Roy who had put Ed back on the ground and was holding his right hand, and a badly shivering Alphonse made up the rear.

Roy dinged the bell that stood on the counter, and they heard a growl. Ed used his height to hide from the line of vision as an enormous man, actually a bit larger than Major Armstrong in fact, came in through the doorway.

"Can I help you?" the man asked with a rumbling bass. His eyes fell upon Alphonse who seemed to be sweating somehow as he scratched his head.

"Uh … hi, Sig ... uhm … you see, it's Alphonse."

"You've grown up a lot. Nice to see you." He rubbed the top of Al's helmet. "Are you here alone?"

"N-No … It's just that Brother's a b-bit different…"

Roy noticed how Ed seemed to cower just from hearing Sig Curtis speak.

"What do you mean? Has he been hurt?" Sig's eyes fell upon Roy and Hawkeye, taking in their uniforms. "Has something happened to him while he's on duty?" He sounded a lot angrier at that last part.

"Yes," Roy said heavily, looking down at the scared child that was currently clinging to his trouser leg. "It's a long story."

"I guess you're here to see Izumi, but don't be alarmed if she tries to kill you." He had growled at them as he said it.

Sig walked around the counter which was when he saw Ed. He stopped, eyes widening. Ed was wearing his dungarees and a red T-shirt and was staring at Sig with frightened eyes. "Edward?"

"Mhm," Ed said in a barely audible voice.

Then Sig kneeled down and gently rubbed Ed's head. "What's happened?" He looked up at Roy and Hawkeye with the same eyes as the rest of the team had had upon seeing Ed.

"Like I said, it's a long story that we think your wife would like to hear too," Roy said.

Sig got up and led the way out of the shop and over to a window at the side of the house. "Izumi? Ed and Al have come for a visit. Something's happened to Ed, so you should take it easy."

"What do you mean?" Izumi asked.

"It's better that you see for yourself."

They followed Sig over to the door which soon slammed open, earning a yelp from Ed and he once again clung to Roy's left leg, hiding behind it.

"WHERE ARE YOU, MY STUPID PUPIL?" Izumi demanded, stomping her foot down on the doormat, glaring at them.

Ed shrieked and ran, obviously terrified.

"BROTHER!" Al shouted just as Roy went "EDWARD!"

Roy set off after him, catching up with him after a very short distance. He put his hands on the boy's shoulders, speaking calmly. "Hey, Edward, it's okay."

"She's gonna kill me!" Ed cried, tears running down his cheeks.

"No, she's not. I won't let her, she's just angry with something that you haven't done yet, so it will be okay once she hears what happened."

Roy dried away the tears on Ed's cheeks and hugged him. He then lifted him up and carried him back to the front door, Ed hiding his face by pressing it against his shoulder. Izumi was standing by the door, looking torn between being pissed off and confused. She hadn't spent her time dawdling, though, as Alphonse was lying on his back, obviously terrified.

Roy had to say that he felt a bit protective of "his" boys, and wasn't too impressed by Izumi so far. Especially after she had terrified Ed that way.

"Somebody better tell me what the hell is going on here!" Izumi said angrily, eyeing Ed's shivering form.

Ed whimpered, clutching the front of Roy's uniform.

"Mrs. Curtis, may I suggest that we sit down in your living room and then me and Alphonse can explain the situation while Colonel Mustang gets Ed to calm down?" Hawkeye said.

"Yes!" She then turned around and stomped into her house.

"I can take you two to the kitchen," Sig said.

"Thank you, Mr. Curtis."

* * *

"Talk! Why does Ed look like he's four?!" Izumi demanded.

"Two weeks ago, Edward was kidnapped and after a series of transmutations, turned back into his five-year-old self," Riza began. "He has no recollection of the last ten years of his life, including his mother's death. He was kept in captivity for a week before we found him and he spent at least four days conscious in his five-year-old state, where he was tied up to a chair and injected with various substances aiming to make him forget about his life in Resembool. As a result he does not easily trust strangers and is a lot more nervous than usual."

Izumi looked horrified and angry at the same time.

"Colonel Mustang was the one to find him, and the pair of them seem to have formed a rather close bond. The Colonel used to be Edward's commanding officer. I'm his assistant, my name is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. In what is most likely an attempt to cover up the military's mistake in letting this happen, Führer Bradley has himself assigned Colonel Mustang and me to guard the Elrics. The Colonel has also become their legal guardian."

Riza had somehow managed to deliver her report in a completely level voice, but on the inside she was still boiling with anger. Edward was a member of their team. This should never have happened.

"Why would someone do this to him?" Izumi asked. She too, seemed to barely be keeping it together.

"Adoption," Alphonse said quietly.

"Adoption?"

"They were going to give Brother "a new life". Everything they did was to "prepare" him for it."

"And where are these people now?" Izumi was obviously planning on killing them for doing this to her student.

"One of the kidnappers are in the hospital, they have just woken up from a coma. He will be facing a trial as soon as he can move out of the bed. There is no way that he won't be facing the firing squad after what he did, though. His wife, however, is still at large," Riza said.

"Why is he in the hospital?"

"Because, understandably enough, you are not the only one that felt like killing him for what he did."

They exchanged a look, and Riza could see the realisation that it was the Colonel that had done it hit her.

"Very well. Alphonse, I would like a word in private, come with me."

* * *

Ed was still sitting on Roy's lap, when Roy suddenly tensed. He even began sliding on his ignition gloves.

"Roy, what's going on?" Ed asked.

"Be quiet," Roy whispered.

Riza had joined them a few minutes ago. She was cocking her gun.

"Roy? What's –"

Then the kitchen wall exploded.

Ed was flung through the air, out of Roy's grip and crashed against a wall. It hurt, but not so much that Ed thought he was injured. "ROY!" Ed screamed, looking about, panic rising. He saw him lying on the floor, blood running from a cut on the back of his head. Riza seemed to be the same, although there wasn't any blood on her.

Ed ran over to Roy, clapping his cheeks. "Roy?! Roy?! ROY?!"

"There's no need to worry about him, Mummy's here now."

Ed froze. That voice belonged to Lillian.

"ROY! ROY! ROOOYYY!" Ed shrieked as he was being pulled up by his armpits.

"Sh-sh-sh, it's okay, my boy."

Lillian was dragging him away from Roy, away from the house. "NO! NO! PLEASE! **PLEASE**!"

"Ed, be quiet or I will have to use this instead." She held up a syringe for him to see.

Ed began crying silently, panic rising as Lillian lifted him up against her chest in the same way that Roy does.

_Please, Roy! You said you'd protect me! You promised! YOU PROMISED!_

"Hey, Psychobitch? Our boss would like a word with you."

Ed didn't recognise the voice, but Lillian reacted instantly, letting go of Ed as she clapped her hands and brought them to the ground. There was a lot of alchemic energy crackling around them as Lillian transmuted a tunnel. Ed managed to jump away from her as she transmuted, and he was left about two metres above where she stood. He began running, tears flowing down his cheeks. "NO, EDWARD!" Lillian screamed as he ran away from her, but he kept running until Roy suddenly came out of nowhere and grabbed him and lifted him up into his arms. Ed hugged him tightly, but Roy wasn't hugging him back.

"Roy?"

"Not exactly." He didn't speak in Roy's voice. He didn't smell right, either.

Ed felt a gigantic lump of fear in his stomach.

"HEY, PSYCHOBITCH! I'VE GOT YOUR SON! HOW ABOUT YOU COME OUT OF YOUR HIDEY-HOLE AND I SWEAR I WON'T HURT HIM!" Ed was terrified by the fact that something like that could even come from something that looked like Roy.

Ed tried getting loose, but he couldn't. The fake Roy's grip was far too strong. "HEEEEELP!"

"Shut your trap, Crybaby."

Ed watched as Lillian came back out from the ground. "LET GO OF HIM, YOU MONSTER!"

Ed found the terror in her voice sending shivers down his spine. Lillian acted like she actually cared about him, despite what she did.

"Let me go! Please!" Ed said, terrified of this inhuman creature that was looking like Roy and was bringing him back to Lillian. Ed struggled to get loose, but he couldn't.

"Stop moving or I'll snap your neck," the Roy-thing barked at him.

Ed grew limp, tears streaming down his cheeks.

This wasn't fair!

The Roy-thing carried him all the way over to Lillian, who immediately stretched out her arms to take him, but the Roy-thing then slammed his hand into her face and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Question is, what do we do with you then, Crybaby? Wrath seems to want you to stay with the Flame Colonel, but this one would be a lot easier to handle if we used you against her."

"Please, let me go!" Ed cried quietly,

Then suddenly Ed heard a snap and the next second, the Roy-thing's legs were on fire. It screamed and Ed used the opportunity to jump out of its arms and crawl away. Ed turned his head and saw Roy, the real Roy, standing there, covered in dust and some blood and with a murderous look on his face. "YOU DARE TO TAKE HIM HOSTAGE? YOU DARE TO TRY AND TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME? YOU DARE TO USE MY FORM TO HURT MY BOY?!"

The Roy-thing was screaming in pain and Ed curled in on himself, covering his ears and closing his eyes. "PLEASE STOP IT!"

The shrieks died out and Ed felt a pair of warm, familiar arms close themselves around him. The real Roy was lifting him up to his chest, hugging him tightly, kissing his forehead. Ed sobbed loudly, gripping the front of his uniform jacket. "Ed, it's alright, I won't let anyone hurt you, remember?"

Ed heard crackling and turned his head around just as Roy froze. The Roy-thing was healing itself, making its legs back to normal. Roy shifted his grip on Ed and brought his right hand out, ready to snap. "What the hell are you?" His voice betrayed a hint of fear.

"None of your business. Now I'll be taking this one with me and we'll pretend that this never happened, what do you say?" He gestured towards Lillian.

"Not happening! Tell me how you can change your form!"

"Like I said, it's none of your business."

"I won't hesitate to burn you."

"Oh, really? Not even if I do this?" The voice changed as it spoke and the thing was suddenly wearing all black, a red coat and had a blonde plait. The golden eyes were staring at him playfully. "Can you really hurt me, Colonel?" The Fullmetal Alchemist asked.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here we go, chapter ten!**

**And once again, thank you so much people for your continued support for this story! It has turned into a much larger thing than what I had originally imagined, I never really thought I'd be rewriting Brotherhood/the manga! I love to get suggestions about plot twists because even though I may not use them, I find them greatly inspiring, because then I have to find a reason why it's not going to turn out like that. I have so much fun writing this, and because I don't really know what will happen next, I find this so exciting to write!**

**So thanks, people! You guys rock!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Roy froze. He could only stare as the thing took Fullmetal's shape. It looked so much like him that it hurt.

"Not so easy now, is it? Not when you're looking straight into the eyes of the child whose life you destroyed. Or are you going to burn me right in front of Edward?"

The thing even sounded like Fullmetal. And it was right, he couldn't just snap his fingers at the thing in front of Ed. Not when it looked like Fullmetal. Not when it meant that it would sound like him. Not when it would feel like he was killing his youngest subordinate.

Suddenly the thing had an automail blade pointed at Roy's chest. It had placed itself so that its left shoulder actually crashed against Roy's outstretched hand. To have lost the kid and just stand here, touching something that looked exactly like him, it hurt so much that Roy could hardly breathe. "So? You gonna let me go?" the imposter asked.

When Roy didn't answer, it shifted its right hand so that the blade was pressed against Ed's throat instead. Small droplets of blood were forming on the part that was touching the skin. "Looks like Daddy is too stubborn to save your life, doesn't it?" It was speaking directly to Ed who was crying silently, looking at it horrified.

"Fine. Take her. But don't you ever touch my boy again!" Roy said, regaining his voice at the threat to Ed.

The thing smirked. "Then I'm going to take these off just in case." It began removing Roy's gloves, smiling at him.

Roy growled.

"So Daddy has some sense after all." It removed its blade from Ed's throat and went over to Lillian Penton's unconscious form, hoisting her up on its shoulder. It turned its head around. "Seems you have a weak point, Colonel, nice to know. See you around." Then he walked off down the street, still looking like the boy that made it hard for Roy to swallow.

"Roy?" Edward asked in between his tears.

Roy readjusted his grip, looking down at him, kissing his forehead. He put his right hand behind Ed's head, his stomach twisted by guilt. He was basically clinging onto the boy in order to stop the tears that were pressing against his eyes. "I'm sorry, Edward. Let's get you patched up."

"Okay, Daddy."

Roy stopped walking, looking down at the boy who was staring up at him with teary, golden eyes.

"You called me "Daddy"?" Roy was confused and may have sounded angry as a result.

"I'm sorry if you didn't want me to. I just sort of thought it sounded right when he said it." He was looking down, obviously disappointed at his reaction.

Roy couldn't really decide. Hearing the fake Fullmetal say it was just hurtful, but hearing it from Ed … when he actually felt like calling him that? And after such a short while and after the whole Penton ordeal? After Hohenheim? Roy had thought that it would come at one point, like maybe after half-a-year at the earliest. But after a week?

But then he realised that with Grant and Lillian calling themselves his parents, how he would like to feel that he made the choice. The boy had probably thought more about who his parents were these last two weeks than most kids did in a few months.

And Roy thought about how he had called him his boy. How they had so much fun with the bath foam. How Ed seemed to rely on him for emotional support and how Roy really just felt honoured to do it.

And so he chuckled and kissed Ed on the forehead. "Call me your Daddy all you want, Ed. You just surprised me a bit, that's all."

Ed looked up at him, smiling hopefully. "It's okay? Really?"

"Yes, you're my boy, after all."

Ed stretched up and kissed Roy on the cheek. "Thank you for saving me, Daddy."

"Of course, Ed. It's my job."

"As our guard?"

"No, as your father." Roy felt funny saying it, but it did feel right. And wasn't as if he really was starting at a blank slate. He knew this kid, he knew his history and he had begun caring for him a long time before he met this Ed. And besides, they felt sort of melded together at an emotional level. They helped heal each other after the incident. They had an incredibly strong bond already.

Roy heard a lot of clanking footsteps.

"Roy?! Is everything alright?! What happened?!" Al shouted the minute he spotted them.

"It's a long story. Ed is okay, but he needs a bandage."

Roy checked the cut on Ed's neck. It wasn't too bad, but it was still bleeding quite a bit. Not life-threateningly though. Roy pressed the sleeve of his jacket to the cut. Ed leaned his head on his hand, his shoulder shooting up. "That tickles, Daddy!"

_Oh god, Hughes is going to have a field day…_

He still smiled though. "Okay, Ed, but then we're getting back to the house right away so we can get that cleaned up."

"Then we need to get you cleaned up too. You're bleeding." Ed put his left hand on Roy's right cheek. He held it up in front of Roy. "See?" It was indeed stained with red.

Roy didn't really have any idea about how he looked. When he had woken up, all he had done was check Hawkeye's pulse before he had run to find Ed.

Edward had his arms around Roy's neck. He still seemed shaken by seeing his fifteen-year-old shape.

"Daddy? Am I real?"

If Al had thought that something was odd about Ed's new name for Roy, he didn't say anything.

"What do you mean, Ed? Of course you're real," Roy said, surprised.

"I mean that I'm really fifteen, but I feel like I'm five and I look like I'm five, so does that make me a fake? Am I just a lie?"

"Edward, you're not a fake and you never will be. Someone did something terrible to you, but that doesn't make you any less real. It does not make you a lie."

"You sure?" Ed was looking scared.

"Completely." Roy leaned down and kissed his head. "You're my boy and you're as real as anything."

Ed hugged him tighter. "Thank you, Daddy."

Roy knew that he would have to talk to Ed about what had just happened when the boy had had some time to let it sink in. When Roy had had some time to let it sink in.

"Roy, what happened? We came back to the house and Lieutenant Hawkeye was unconscious and the kitchen was destroyed!" Alphonse had obviously just been waiting for Ed to have been calmed down before he asked what was going on.

"Lillian Penton came after Ed again. I wasn't the only one who wanted her however. There was this … creature, it could change its form. It got away with her." Roy couldn't get himself to tell the whole story right now. He needed to talk to Hawkeye.

They got back to the house where Izumi had already rebuilt the kitchen. She was standing outside the front door, arms crossed, glaring murderously. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY KITCHEN?!"

"I'll explain everything, but first, I would like to get Ed patched up and looked over. He was attacked by Lillian Penton and an unknown culprit."

"You too, Daddy. You need to get patched up too," Ed said.

Izumi seemed slightly confused by the new name, but she didn't say anything. "The bathroom is through the hallway, second door on the right. There's a first aid kit under the sink. Come into the living room when you're done. And then you'll explain everything. Lieutenant Hawkeye is still out, she is lying on the couch."

Roy only just managed to stop himself from answering with a "Yes, sir!" and instead nodded and thanked her.

Roy carried Ed with him into the bathroom, putting him down on the lid of the toilet. He found the first aid kit and saw that there was in fact blood on both his T-shirt and his dungarees. Roy helped him out of his dirty clothes, revealing that Ed had dried blood half way down his chest. The cut was obviously pretty deep. Roy got a washcloth and poured some water on it before he kneeled down and began cleaning up the boy. He then put antiseptic on the wound, making sure that it was properly cleaned up, before he put a bandage on it. "Does it hurt anywhere else?" Roy asked.

"A bit on my back. I think I hit a stone or something."

Ed stood up and turned around, revealing what was probably going to be a nasty bruise just beneath his right shoulder blade. The skin was still littered with small, purplish spots from the injections, as well as a few green-ish bruises surrounding quite a few of them. Roy felt his stomach twist at the sight.

Roy turned Ed around before he hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek. He just felt a powerful urge to comfort the boy every time he saw what the Pentons had done to him. Ed was hugging him back, his small arms trying, and failing, to reach all the way around his chest. "What's the matter, Daddy?"

"It's nothing. It's just that I feel like hugging you when I see what they did to you. It's hard to explain."

"Oh. I think that's a parent thing. Mom would always hug me if I got hurt."

Roy smiled. He was really quite stunned with how much he loved this boy already. He hugged him tighter, cherishing the fact that he was safe, that Roy had been there in time, and that Ed was his. He was actually this wonderful boy's father as of now. And even though it scared him senseless, he wouldn't have traded this for the world.

And he couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of one day being able to hug Al in this way too.

"But, Daddy? We need to patch you up now." Ed pulled out of the hug and found another washcloth and dipped it in water, coming back to him and dabbing his right cheek. Ed then found the antiseptic and cleaned it up before he bandaged it. He was obviously a quick learner. "I think you need someone else to look at your head wound, though, I don't know what to do about those."

Which would mean that with Hawkeye still asleep, Roy would have to ask Izumi to help him. He had a nagging feeling that it needed stitches.

"Ed? How bad would you say it looks?" Roy leaned his head forwards and felt Ed parting his hair from the source of the angry throbbing in his head.

"You need stitches, Daddy."

Roy cursed inwardly.

Which just had to be when Izumi decided to knock on the door. "Are you done soon?!"

Ed went over to the door slowly, still only in his light blue boxers, and opened it. "Mrs. Curtis? Daddy needs stitches, can you please help him?" he asked, obviously scared.

Izumi's stern look softened considerably. "Yes, I can, Ed."

"Great! Thank you, Mrs. Curtis."

Ed turned around and walked over to Roy, and Roy saw Izumi pause the moment she saw Ed's back. "They did that?" she mouthed to Roy, anger flaring in her eyes. Roy gave a swift nod. Izumi looked ready to murder the Pentons slowly with a teaspoon.

Ed paused by Roy's side, tilting his head forwards and Roy had a feeling that the boy was pointing. "There, Mrs. Curtis."

"Let me have a look, Ed."

Roy felt a much less gentle set of hands part his hair. "Ed, would you hand me the needle and thread?"

Ed fell to the floor and began shuffling backwards until his back crashed against the bathtub, staring at Izumi with wide, terrified eyes. "I-I can't."

Roy was immediately on his feet and scooped Ed up in his arms. Ed was shaking. "Don't wanna see them," he whispered, burrowing his face into Roy's shoulder.

Roy held him tightly. "Then you don't have to."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Roy sat himself down on the toilet lid, still holding onto Ed who's breathing was slowly evening out again. Roy could see why the panic was flaring after what just happened with Lillian, as well as the fact that Ed was dressed pretty much the same as he had been during his captivity. When a woman who was practically a stranger asked him to pick up one of his worst anxiety triggers, Roy would say that Ed's reaction was pretty natural.

"Sh-sh-sh, Edward. It's okay, it's okay." Roy spoke into the top of his head. "Mrs. Curtis, would it be okay for you to stitch me up although I'm sitting here?"

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry for scaring you, Ed."

Ed made a faint sound that sounded like a confirmation of sorts.

Then Roy felt the hair on his head being parted again, and he was soon very glad to have Ed to focus on as Izumi seemed to believe in being thorough rather than nice.

"Alright, Colonel Mustang, you're done. Now I would like a word alone with you," Izumi said after a few minutes.

Ed was thankfully calmed down and had actually fallen asleep in his arms. "I don't think that will be a problem, Ed is out like a light. Thank you for your help." Roy straightened up and turned towards her. "Now what do you want to know?"

Izumi closed the door behind her. "Tell me about Ed. I want to know what happened and what is going on between you and the Elrics. And then I want you to tell me what exactly happened with Lillian Penton, because you're hiding something from Alphonse and it is something that turned you pale as a ghost."

Roy sighed. "You want the long story, in other words?"

"Yes. And you're not leaving here with my boys before you tell me." She crossed her arms.

_Oh, shit. I've got competition…_


	11. Chapter 11

**Once again, thank you so much for your support, people!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And if anyone's wondering, I am not doing the full Dublith arc right now, but will be doing it further on in the story, so Greed will come into the picture and Al will regain his memories, but this will be after I save Nina, so it'll probably be in a little while.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

"Where would you like me to begin?" Roy asked.

"Why did you bring Ed into the military? Why did you recruit him instead of bringing him in?"

Roy thought back to that day. It was all just a stupid mistake. Someone had somehow managed to write that the talented alchemist they were going to visit was thirty-one instead of eleven. For some reason, they had still gone to the Elrics' house. What they found had initially filled him with anger, but then he had stormed into the Rockbells' house and had seen the two brothers. "When I found them, I was met with a boy who was in pain, who had nearly lost his only family and with two missing limbs. Yet, for some reason, it hadn't broken him. He had a fire in his eyes that spoke of wanting to fix things. It spoke of his strength. And Alphonse had made me realise that those two had never meant for it to happen. They hadn't been arrogant or thought that they were playing with lives. They were kids and they were hurting. I wasn't going to act without thought and send one brother to be executed and the other to be experimented on in some laboratory. And, although I'm ashamed to admit it, I recruited him because of his talent. I knew that my own stock would rise for finding him. But even so, I wanted to give him the opportunity to get their bodies back. To make things right."

"And you were his commanding officer ever since he joined the military?"

"Yes."

"How was your relationship with the boys?"

"I'm sorry to say that me and Fullmetal used to drive each other up the walls. We bickered and resorted to childish name-calling. We generally just teased and insulted each other … You cannot even begin to understand how I regret that … We were trying to keep him safe and move him to the barracks when we learned that the kidnappers were specifically targeting Fullmetal. We didn't foresee the fact that there would be two of them and that they were officers themselves. They took him. And it was my fault. I should have protected the kid better. Done something. He was my subordinate, he was my responsibility." Roy was having a hard time looking at her by now. "I-I am so sorry. So sorry."

"What happened to Ed?"

"They did several different transmutations. Irreversible ones. They kept regressing him to a kid, using the excess organs and so on as materials for a new arm and a leg. According to what Edward has been telling me, they used the transmutation circles to "hurt his mind" to delete all the information from these last ten years. When they weren't able to go on using the arrays to wipe his memory further, they pulled out a series of syringes in order to try and make him forget, but they were unsuccessful. According to Ed, these substances were basically torture either meant for him to see things or hurt him from the inside out. He was fed through an IV for the four days that he was conscious." Roy told her the story through gritted teeth. Repeating the hell that the boy on his lap had been through made him want to just hug him tightly and never let go ever again.

"Why did you take them in?" Roy realised that Izumi was evaluating how fit he was to take care of the Elrics.

"Because I failed Fullmetal, yet Ed trusts me. It began as a promise to a five-year-old to protect him, but we have found comfort in each other's presence. I don't do this because I feel bad for them, but because I have a genuine wish to make their lives better. To make things right. Because losing Fullmetal made me realise just how much I really care about them. And I won't push Al into liking me, nor will I push him away. I just want my boys to grow up to be just as great as they already are."

Izumi nodded, apparently agreeing with his answer.

"Why does Ed call you Daddy? After his father left I would have thought that he would have needed a much longer time to call you that."

"I can only guess that it's because of two main factors. First of all, he still believed his mother to be alive when we found him, and isn't as bitter and as angry with the world. Secondly, I think that it has something to do with the fact that he has had a couple of maniacs trying to tell him that they are his parents, and so I think that it has given him a sort of hunger for a parent that he has chosen on his own."

"I see. Now tell me what happened with Lillian Penton."

"She blew up your wall, knocking me and Lieutenant Hawkeye out before she took Edward. She was however attacked by another person that was after her for unknown reasons. Ed got away from her but was captured by this other person that could change its form, clothes and all. It disguised itself as me in order to use Ed to make Penton behave. I attacked the impostor with my flame alchemy, making it let go of Ed before I picked him up. It should have been unable to walk due to my attack, but it somehow healed itself. I was ready to attack it again when it changed its shape into Fullmetal's." Roy stopped. Up until that point, the report had been driven by anger, but now Roy was struggling to keep it together. He could still feel the helplessness at watching the thing looking so much like the kid that had been forever lost to him.

"You froze," Izumi said softly.

"It sounded like him. I couldn't just snap my fingers and hear the sound of him screaming. I just couldn't."

"Of course."

"It's been just over two weeks since I last saw that kid. And god, do I miss him. I miss my insubordinate, little brat that always had to destroy at least one building with each mission, that called me the "Bastard Colonel". I would give so much to have him back. But I wouldn't change this Ed for the old one. I want them both. I care so much about them both. I couldn't swap one for the other. But I can't have my Fullmetal back. So at least I will take care of my son. And I hope that Al will view me in the same way that Ed does some day. Because they are my boys. They are my brilliant, wonderful boys, so if you want to fight me for them, then I won't fight you. I will let them choose who they want to be with. Because I know that I will never be worthy of them."

Roy was frankly impressed with himself. He had never said anything like it before, but those thoughts had been buzzing around in his head for a few days now. And he knew that it was the absolute truth.

It was quiet for a while.

Then Izumi laughed, throwing her head back.

Roy just stared at her. He had never felt less like laughing in his life. He was just proud with himself for not beginning to cry.

Izumi smiled at him. "Well, it seems like there are a few dogs of the military that actually have some sense in their heads. Very well, Colonel Mustang, but just remember that if you ever hurt them, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Duly noted."

"How about you go find Ed some clothes while I clean things up here. I guess that you'll be needing three bedrooms?"

"Two will suffice, Ed still can't sleep on his own. He still gets nightmares and doesn't manage to fall asleep in his own bed yet." Roy hated this fact, but he would just have to wait for Ed to be ready for it. If anyone had the right to be traumatised, it was him.

"I see." She looked sorrowful.

Roy lifted Ed higher up against his chest and carried him with him into the hallway where he met Alphonse who looked a bit jumpy. "Oh, hi, Roy, I was just …"

"You heard the entire conversation, didn't you?" Roy wasn't angry, he was just worried about what Al was thinking about everything.

"Uhm … most of it … Did you really mean what you said about Brother and me?"

Roy smiled at him. "I meant every word."

"Oh … Thank you, Roy."

"There's no reason to thank me, really. It's the least I can do. I'm your guardian and I intend to fulfil that role. You boys deserve that."

And Roy suddenly found himself being hugged lightly by the suit of armour. Roy just wished he could hug him back, but his hold on Ed was hindering him from it. And so the hug felt both odd and good at the same time.

* * *

"So, Ed, you can't remember anything about that night when the transmutation failed?" Mrs. Curtis asked Ed. He had to say that he was still a bit scared of her. It helped that he was sitting on Daddy's lap. It was funny to think of him that way, but there wasn't really anything wrong with it. He was his guardian and would be so for a long time. He was his Daddy and he had chosen him. The way Ed saw it, he would end up being his Daddy anyway, so if Ed wanted to call him that now, then that was fine. And he was Daddy and not "Dad" because "Dad" had left them and made Mom cry. No, Roy Mustang was his Daddy. His safe, warm, good Daddy. He wouldn't leave him because he had promised him that he would protect him.

"No."

"But Alphonse is still bound to the armour, although you now have both your arms and your legs."

"So does that mean that the toll hasn't been paid? Then how am I still here?" Al asked.

"I can only guess, but the Pentons used Ed's body with its missing limbs to make him this way. That could mean that Ed's growth will merely be limited and that he will literally be one arm shorter."

Ed was about to scream in frustration, but then he realised something and instead crossed his arms. "It's worth it for Al."

Daddy ruffled his hair.

Mrs. Curtis smiled at him.

Ed heard footsteps and turned around, seeing Riza standing in the doorway. She looked groggy, but smiled at them all the same. "I'm glad to see that you're safe, Ed."

"Daddy came for me," Ed said simply.

She looked a bit surprised at the name, but she smiled even so. "He said he would."

Ed grinned. "He did." And then he turned around and placed his arms around Daddy's chest and hugged him, getting hugged back.

Ed was very happy with his Daddy. He was the opposite of Hohenheim, because Hohenheim had left them while Daddy chose them. He wanted them. And it felt good. It was great in fact. And so when bedtime came, Ed lay down in those warm, safe arms and smiled. Ed loved having a Daddy. A real one, a proper one. It was exciting.

The only problem was that Ed couldn't get the pictures of his old self holding a blade against his neck. It still hurt when he touched it. And Daddy had frozen when he had seen him. He hadn't stopped him from hurting him at first.

"Daddy? Do you care about the old me more than this me?"

"Of course not. I care about you both, and I wouldn't change you for anything in the world."

"So if you could fix me, you wouldn't?"

"No, Edward. You are my boy. Both you and Alphonse are my boys and I care about you so much, I couldn't have changed you even if I tried."

"So when you didn't move earlier today?"

"It was because I couldn't hurt anything that looked like you. Whether it's the old you or not, it would feel like burning you, and I couldn't do that. It had nothing to do with which one I love more."

Ed put his arm on Daddy's waist, snuggling his face into his undershirt. "Love you, Daddy."

Daddy hugged him tighter. "Love you too, Edward."


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow! I can't believe that this fic has already got 20 favs, thank you!**

**And I'm sorry about the shorter chapter, but I just thought that it was a funny way to end it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Roy had heard that you lost a lot of sleep when you had small children. He had found it not to be the case with Ed. The boy had nightmares of course, and a lot of them, but he never stayed awake for long afterwards. And so Roy suddenly found himself having a minimum of nine hours of sleep each night. Ed still wouldn't sleep without having him there, even after two weeks now, but Roy wasn't going to force him. Which meant that Roy would usually be asleep by nine o'clock in the evenings, unless Ed needed to talk. It was sort of funny how easily Roy found himself falling asleep, but he guessed it had something to do with some basic human instinct. He did find it very relaxing to have the small, warm form curled up against his chest each night. He also found it to help with keeping away the nightmares about Ishbal. In a way, he saw Ed as a way to make things right again. To pay back some of the debt that he owed after all the children that he had killed.

The only problem was that he did have one nightmare, a recurring one that left him with so much guilt and pain that he would wake up shivering. It had begun a week ago, after they had met the thing that made itself look like Fullmetal.

He would find himself back in the derelict surgical theatre, but instead of finding Ed, he would find Fullmetal bound to the chair. He would be sitting there, blood dripping from where his automail had been, so thin that Roy could count each of his ribs. The fire in his eyes was extinguished. He would look up at Roy, eyes full of tears. "You left me to die. You just let them do this to me." Each breath was obviously causing the boy pain. "I trusted you, Colonel, but I guess you really were a bastard after all. An incompetent, selfish bastard that couldn't even keep a kid safe." Roy would try to move forwards, try to get to the boy and hug him, to save him, but he would find himself tied to a chair himself. Then suddenly Ed would be sitting there on his lap, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Daddy." Fullmetal would look at him, crying. "Why do you deserve him after what you let happen to me? How can you live with yourself? How can you say that you'll protect him, when you couldn't keep me safe? You're just gonna fail me again and you know it."

The door would open, and Roy would see himself walking inside the doors, holding a scalpel. He would walk over to Fullmetal before slitting his throat. "You killed me, Colonel," Fullmetal would say before his eyes would dull and all that could be heard was spluttering until that, too, stopped. Roy would be watching as the other him would then walk over to the boy sitting on his lap, pulling his head backwards and slitting his throat too. Ed would be staring up at him, dying, bleeding, choking and Roy couldn't do a thing about it. "Why, Daddy?"

Then Roy would wake up, panting. He would hug Ed closer to him, sometimes unable to repress the tears. He would lie there, talking to the sleeping child. "I'm so sorry, Fullmetal. I'm so sorry."

But tonight was different. Tonight Ed actually woke up, looking at him with those golden orbs. "Daddy? Why are you crying?" Ed asked him, reaching his right hand up to dry his tears away.

"I'm just still hurting, Ed. And it makes me afraid of losing you again."

"Oh. But you won't lose me, because you made a promise not to. You shouldn't blame yourself. It wasn't you who did this, it was Lillian and Grant."

Roy just bent his head and kissed his forehead. "I still feel that I should have kept you safe."

"How many times do I have to tell you, you shouldn't blame yourself, Daddy! If I felt that you were guilty, then you wouldn't have been my Daddy, would you?" Ed huffed.

Roy had to say that that was quite the argument, seeing as how it really would take a lot to reach this boy's father standards. But Roy would never be able to forgive himself for what happened. He was just going to make life as good as he could for his boys now that things were as they were.

"Okay, Ed. Thank you."

Ed sat up on his knees, stretching out his arms before he practically attacked Roy in a hug, tilting him over on his back and landing on his chest, laughing. Roy couldn't help but smile at the childish glee. The boy really knew how to cheer him up. "Just remember, Daddy, that I'm not dead and that I will be okay, alright?"

Roy put his arms around him. The boy was right. Edward Elric wasn't dead. He had never been killed. He had just been changed. He had been changed into this wonderful little boy that needed Roy. It just hurt that he hadn't been there to prevent it from happening. Roy wasn't going to fail him ever again. Neither of his boys.

"Alright. I'll remember it," Roy told him.

Ed put his elbows on Roy's chest and leaned over and kissed his cheek before looking sternly at him. "Good." Then Ed lay back down on his chest. Roy put his left hand on his head. "You know, Daddy, I'm sad too. I'm sad about Mom. I'm sad about losing the last ten years of my life. I'm sad about not watching Al grow up. I'm sad that there's so many things and so many people that I don't remember. But seeing you be sad about it being your fault, when it's not, that makes me sad too. So if you don't want me to be sad, then you have to stop blaming yourself. Can you do that for me?"

Roy honestly had to say that he hadn't thought about it that way before, but Ed was right. The boy could be empathetic as hell sometimes. Roy hugged him tighter. "I'll try, Ed."

"Good. Now you need to sleep."

"Both of us. We've got a lead on the Philosopher's Stone after all and our train leaves at ten o'clock tomorrow."

"It would be great if we got Al his body back, wouldn't it?"

"It would, Ed. It really would."

* * *

The week with the Curtises had been a nice one. Roy had got to know his boys a lot better, and Al had begun calling Hawkeye by her first name, too. Izumi certainly knew a lot about alchemy and the trip had been highly interesting, as well as giving them a sneak peek at family life.

Roy had been very happy to find out that Edward's blood tests all came back negative. There was just one thing that worried Roy, and that was that Ed still seemed to eat for two people and he slept much more than the average five-year-old. Roy couldn't figure it out, Ed seemed perfectly healthy except for the periodic anxiousness caused by the Pentons.

When Roy woke Ed the morning of their departure, Ed just blinked once and then shut his eyes against the light in the room. "Hmf … Too bright," then he dug his face into Roy's undershirt. Roy smiled at the blonde boy that was still lying on his chest.

"Come on, Ed, we need to wake up, otherwise we'll miss our train."

"Can't you just carry me?"

"Hmm, depends … just let me check how heavy you are today." Then Roy lifted Ed up over him, and Ed, despite being hard to wake in the mornings because of his refusal to actually wake up, began giggling slightly at the ridiculousness of it. Roy began turning him left and right and lifted him up and down slightly, faking a look of deep concentration as he "evaluated" him. "Maybe," Roy concluded, earning another giggle from Ed. Roy let him back down on his chest, hugging him, chuckling a bit. Ed hugged him back, a lot more awake. Roy didn't really know where the idea about the "weight check" had come from, but it was obviously appreciated by the boy.

This last week had been very educational for him when it came to fatherhood, because even though the Curtises didn't have any children of their own, they were very knowledgeable when it came to parenting. They could also tell him a lot of useful things about the time when Ed and Al had been training with Izumi.

All in all, it had been a good trip, but now that they had a lead on the Stone, it was time to move on. It was Breda who had called them about this priest performing miracles in a desert town back East and they figured that it was worth a shot.

And so Roy carried Ed with him to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Roy was, after all, only wearing his undershirt and boxers and wasn't too keen on meeting his hosts. It wasn't that he was unfit, he was actually pretty well-trained, so that wasn't the issue. No, it was the fact that Sig made him feel sort of … puny … and it helped his pride to be wearing his uniform when talking to him.

Roy had to say that the morning bath had become a kind of parental highlight for him, and it usually involved a lot of foam and jokes and laughter. Today, however, they would have to settle for a scrub with a washcloth. Ed did somehow find out that it was a good idea to lean over the edge of the tub and hug him when he was full of soap, making the pair of them nearly crash to the floor as Ed's legs were rather slippery and he slid sideways, only just getting saved by Roy who had thankfully reacted with pulling the boy backwards instead of falling sideways along with him. He therefore found himself covered in soap, laughing along with Ed who was clinging to his neck.

Roy was actually a bit surprised by how much of a hugger that Ed was, but he supposed that it too had something to do with the Pentons and his wish to feel affection from someone who wasn't torturing him while calling themselves his parents. And having been starved of paternal love at that age was obviously a contributing factor. And Roy didn't really mind the hugs, he cared a lot about his boy after all.

_Oh, God … I'm turning into Hughes._

* * *

**And I would just like to add that having a smaller, warm weight against your chest/stomach, works like a charm. I don't have any experiences with parenting, but I did have a fat guinea pig (not our fault, she was that way when we bought her) that slept on my stomach once as I lay on the couch, and I was out like a light within ten minutes.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Daddy? How long till we get there?" Ed asked, getting tired with the trains. They had been travelling for five days now, and Daddy looked like he really needed a proper bed. He had bags under his eyes and he looked really tired. Even Auntie Riza was looking slightly worse for wear. Ed was the only one that had got enough sleep for the last five days because he could use Daddy as both pillow and mattress. "You and Auntie Riza need some sleep."

Ed had begun calling her that two days ago, he had just thought that it fit, also because her and Daddy were obviously close, but not romantically, at least he didn't think so, so the nearest connection then would be that she was Ed's Auntie from now on. She hadn't been opposed to it, so Ed had even hugged her now that she was his official Auntie.

"We'll be there in a few hours. We've rented a couple of horses to take us through the desert and into town."

Ed had to say that that sounded good. He had been riding a few horses back in Resembool, so he wasn't scared of them.

"Good. And then you need to sleep. You need to be rested to work properly, otherwise you could get hurt."

"We'll be arriving at about seven, so that's the plan."

"Good."

And so Ed just snuggled up to him and fell asleep shortly after.

* * *

Al had to say that watching Brother sleeping so contentedly was something that made him happy. He still missed his Big Brother so much that it hurt, but part of Al was actually happy for him. So many of the bad things that had happened to them, was simply erased from Ed's mind. He actually had his limbs. He had a living parent that loved him, that gave him all the love and the hugs that he craved. And he didn't carry the weight of the world upon his shoulders.

Al still hadn't told him that he had done a bit of calculations about where in the timeline he was, and he had figured out that where Ed had been memory-wise before they found him, had been about four days before the two of them had found Mom collapsed on the floor.

He found it equally funny and sad to think about how his old Ed would have reacted if he could see himself right now, curled up on Roy's lap, smiling and calling him Daddy. Al found the attention from Roy both nice and odd. But Al had seen how the man had realised how much he cared about the two of them the moment he almost lost them, and in a way it was good to have an adult to talk to about things with. Even though it had brought him so close to Ed, not having to be each other's emotional crutch was a relief of sorts. For the first time since Ed joined the military, they were both allowed to just act their age. And Ed seemed so much happier for it.

And Roy really was being a great dad to Ed, and he seemed to want to be one to Al too when Al was ready for it. And he found himself wishing from time to time that he was back in his real body just so that he could feel the warmth of one of those hugs too.

Al had been talking a lot to Riza about all this, seeing as how Ed still demanded a lot of attention from Roy because of his trauma and his age. Riza had been very kind and understanding and had explained Roy and his actions and his rather sudden affection for Al and Ed. It was interesting to see just how much Riza knew Roy. Al had never seen him as an emotional man, but he was. And it felt good to know that he could talk to both of them without feeling silly.

So it really left Al a bit confused, because he had lost a lot, but he had gained so much too.

* * *

"Daddy! It's time to wake up! Breakfast closes in forty minutes!" Ed was sitting on his knees, patting Daddy's cheeks. He woke up slowly, blinking sluggishly. "Hmm? Ammawake!"

"You don't sound like it, Daddy."

Daddy's black eyes focused on his and he smiled. "Good morning, Ed."

Ed hugged him. "Morning, Daddy!"

Daddy laughed and hugged him back. "How long have you been up?"

"Only about five minutes. We need to get downstairs or we won't get any breakfast! It closes in less than forty minutes and I'm hungry."

"Hungry, are you? Like right … here?" Daddy tickled his belly and Ed laughed, twitching a bit in his arms.

"Stop it, Daddy! We have to go!" But Ed couldn't stop laughing even so.

"Okay, Ed, I'll just take a shower first. You could go downstairs with Riza and Al if you want."

"Okay, but come quickly."

And so Ed climbed out of the bed and went out of the room. There wasn't really any problem with eating breakfast in his pyjamas after all.

But the second he closed the door behind him, a pair of strong arms lifted him up while clamping their hand in front of his mouth.

Ed panicked, he couldn't get loose.

"You heathens need to leave us in peace," a gruff voice told him.

Then the hand covered his nose too and Ed couldn't breathe and Daddy was right there in the next room, but Ed couldn't shout for him.

Then everything turned black.

* * *

Roy walked out of the bathroom, ready to go downstairs and eat his breakfast for the twenty minutes that were left. He opened the room door, but it bumped against something halfway. Roy turned his head around the door curiously and felt his heart stop. Ed was just lying there, face down.

Roy slipped out of the opening and kneeled down in front of him, turning him over on his back and checking his pulse. He let out a relieved sigh when he found it to be steady. He lifted him up to his chest and began tapping his cheek. His pulse may be steady, but healthy five-year-olds don't just collapse out of the blue.

After about half a minute of calling his name, Ed opened his eyes slowly and looked up at him blearily before he suddenly gasped and was obviously panicking. "Daddy?! There was a man and —! I couldn't breathe! I thought he was gonna kill me!" Then Ed began sobbing into Roy's uniformed chest.

Roy hugged him tightly, kissing his forehead. It wasn't a medical issue, Ed had been attacked again. Being a defenceless five-year-old made him an easy target, and people had obviously already found that out. Roy felt the anger boiling inside of him.

"I thought he was gonna kill me, Daddy!" Ed sobbed.

"Ed, did he say anything to you?" Roy hated having to go so directly to the point, but he knew that if there was a chance of being attacked again, then they needed to be prepared.

"He said something about us heathens leaving them in peace. Why would he say that, Daddy? Why did he attack me?" Roy carried him back into the room. Hawkeye would probably come in and check on them soon and Roy didn't want to stress out the kid more than necessary. Besides, there was a chance that whoever had done this to his son had actually been aiming to kill him and would try again if they found out that they hadn't been successful.

Roy kissed his forehead again. Ed could have been dead. He could have been dead because Roy didn't ask him to wait for him. And this was all about this weird religion that Roy hadn't even heard about before. Someone had nearly killed his boy because he was a so-called heathen.

Roy was going to have a long talk to this priest about what he taught his followers.

"Daddy?" Ed asked between his tears, obviously wondering about why he hadn't received an answer.

"I'm sorry, Ed, Daddy's just thinking. I got really scared when I found you like that." Roy sat down in an armchair, still holding Ed close to him. He sighed. "Sometimes people believe that not sharing the same religion makes them dangerous and they lash out."

"Isn't that what's been happening in Ishbal?"

Roy froze slightly. Then he remembered that Ed didn't really know about the Ishbalan massacre, but he had seen the effects of the skirmishes as he had been growing up so close to it. For him the war was still going on. "In a way, yes."

"So he attacked me because it was easy to get away with it while scaring you?"

Roy had to say that he was impressed with Ed's conclusion. He was definitely a sharp kid and had figured things out just from a few answers. Once again Roy felt extremely lucky with getting those two boys. "Yes, Ed. He did." Roy had stopped apologising for things like this, for not being there to prevent them, because Ed just got angry with him. And like he had said earlier, it made him sad.

Roy wiped Ed's tears away and held him closer again, just letting their fright pass for a few seconds.

There was a knock on the door. "Yes?"

"Sir? Is everything all right?"

"Please come in, Lieutenant."

Hawkeye entered the room along with Alphonse. The two of them had been getting close especially since Al found it hard to spend the nights in the same room as Ed because of the nightmares. Hawkeye was an early riser and so Al would usually just sit in the hallway, waiting for her to wake up, usually with about five books strewn about him.

Al was getting more and more relaxed around Roy, but he could tell that he was still trying to figure out just how close he wanted to be. Roy was just waiting patiently for him to decide, trying not to push him. It would come, little by little.

"What's wrong, Roy?" Alphonse asked, taking in the sight of Ed still in his pyjamas while crying into Roy's chest.

"Somebody attacked him, I found him unconscious in the hallway. Apparently someone wants us "heathens" gone from this town."

"Brother! Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Al was immediately kneeling in front of him.

"They cut off his air supply until he blacked out. Otherwise he's unhurt." Roy held him instinctively closer to his chest.

"I thought he was gonna kill me," Ed whimpered.

"Sh-sh-sh, Ed. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you." Roy looked straight at Hawkeye and Alphonse. "We are, however, going to have a word with the priest about his teachings."


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry about the short chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

Once Ed was calmed down, Roy sent Hawkeye to fetch Ed some breakfast and a large ice cream. Ed ate with his usual gusto, and the four of them were soon ready to visit the church of Leto. They had made a kind of plan that if anything turned dangerous, Alphonse would open his chest plate and let Ed climb inside and stay there until it was safe to come out.

And so Ed held Roy's left hand as they walked into the church. Roy was already wearing his ignition glove on his right hand, not taking any risks with Ed around. They passed the many pews, coming to a girl that was kneeling in front of the altar. She heard them coming in and stood up and turned towards them. "Oh, hi. Are you interested in Letoism?"

Roy guessed that if he wanted to talk to the priest, then he needed to pose as a potential follower. He smiled as charmingly as he could. "Yes, but I'm still not sure whether it is the path for me and my family yet. As an alchemist my faith is still rooted in science. It would be a tremendous help for me if I could speak with the Father himself."

The girl lit up. "Yes, of course! Father Cornello will surely lead you to the ways of Leto!"

And so they followed the girl, who presented herself as Rose, further through the corridors of the church until they met a man who was introduced to them as "Brother Cray."

Cray left to talk to Cornello and returned ten minutes later, guiding them towards what Roy guessed was a kind of large congregation room. It was completely made of stone and lit by torches. He had to say that it was a bit ominous. Ed seemed to think so too, because he walked even closer to Roy.

"Father Cornello is a busy man, you people are very lucky that he has time for you."

"I understand. We'll try to make this as quick as possible," Roy said smoothly.

"My thoughts exactly." Then Roy heard the sound of a gun and watched as Al's head was shot off, and immediately heard another shot go off as Hawkeye shot Cray in the shoulder not even watching what she was doing. The guards that had moved forwards to restrain them, seemed to change their mind, especially when Roy turned around and glared at them. Nobody shot his boys, whether they could feel it or not, it didn't matter. These people had hurt both Ed and Al now. Roy snapped his fingers, sending a couple of controlled flames at their wooden spears, making them go up in smoke. The guards ran.

Hawkeye had her gun pointed at Cray who was yelling with pain and Al was replacing his head. Rose was staring at Alphonse, stammering, but Roy's focus was solely on Ed who was sitting on the ground, his legs curled up to his chest, trying to block out the sound of Cray's screams. Al seemed to have seen this too, as he swiftly hit the man in the face before making a makeshift bandage for his shoulder.

Roy was kneeling in front of Ed, gently removing his hands from his ears. "Hey, Ed, it's okay. It's safe."

Ed lifted his head slowly and looked up at him. The golden orbs were filled with horror and fear. "Daddy? He's not dead, is he?" Roy hadn't really thought about it before now, but Ed was a country boy that wasn't used to such a violent life as the one he had suddenly been forced into. And he was five. Only five. Pained screams were pained screams whether they came from a criminal or not.

"No, and he'll be perfectly fine soon enough."

Ed nodded, then he suddenly threw himself forwards at Roy, sobbing. "I don't like this, Daddy."

Roy held him, kissing the top of his head. He felt bad for dragging Ed into this. But at the same time, Al needed to get his body back and Roy couldn't just leave Ed on his own. "I'm sorry, Ed."

"My, my, what's going on here?" Roy looked up towards the sound. At a kind of platform at the far end of the room, stood a thick, bald man. Rose immediately lit up with a gasp. "Father Cornello!"

Roy stood up, holding Ed close to his chest.

"I would like to apologise for my disciples' behaviour, it would seem they were misguided."

"So you're saying that you're not the one teaching them that it's okay to try to kill innocent five-year-olds?" Roy said, anger flaring.

"Of course not. The Sun God Leto is a just god, he would never condone such actions."

"That's funny, because this is the second time today that someone from your flock has wanted to hurt my brother," Al said, far from as sweet as usual.

"Like I said, they've been misguided." Roy was getting sick with the man's smug tone and expression. Roy didn't seem to be the only one, as a bullet whizzed about a centimetre from Cornello's right ear and lodged itself in the wall behind him. Cornello jumped, losing his attitude pretty quickly. "Y-you can't do things like that!"

"Father Cornello, your followers have just threatened the lives of two military officers, I suggest you stop talking until you answer our questions," Roy said coldly. "Your miracles, they're alchemy, aren't they?" Roy had heard quite a few stories about these "miracles", and except for the red lightning instead of blue, it sounded like what it looks like when someone transmutes. The only problem was that he didn't follow the law of Equivalent Exchange, which seriously supported the theory that Cornello had a Philosopher's Stone.

"Please don't mistake my miracles for alchemy." He created a small stone statue in the palm of his hands. "Just look, could mere alchemy create something out of nothing in this way?"

"No, but a certain alchemic amplifier certainly could. Now please hand over the Stone."

"The Stone? What stone? These are the blessings of Leto and nothing else."

"Please, Father, just hand us the Philosopher's Stone before you get hurt," Al said.

"My, my, you military dogs really are persistent. I guess you've earned a special reward. Tell me, have any of you ever seen a chimera?" He pulled a lever and a side door opened, revealing a part lion/bird/lizard, bounding towards them. Al quickly took Ed out of Roy's hands and put him inside his armour as Hawkeye shot the chimera three times straight to the brain, killing it before it hit the ground.

Cornello didn't lose heart at that, and created a machine gun, but Al seemed to have foreseen that, and had already drawn a transmutation circle on the floor, activated it and put up a protective wall in front of them.

Roy peeked his head around the wall and snapped his fingers, sending a flame directly at Cornello's right hand, making him drop the gun. Cornello shouted in pain, falling to his knees as he held his wrist. Roy walked out from behind the protective wall, striding towards him. "Tell me where the Stone is!"

"I don't think so! I can use the Stone to heal as well!" His right hand glowed bright red, but then Roy heard a crack and watched as something clearly went very wrong as the wrist twisted itself around and Roy didn't even want to think of the rest as the transmutation clearly rebounded and his arm started bleeding a lot. The screaming fool was going to bleed out within minutes. Roy and Hawkeye both ran forwards, and Hawkeye quickly began to wrap the broken appendage in her own jacket. Roy was getting furious. They were so close to finding a way to get Al's body back, but if something was wrong with the Stone, then they couldn't risk it. "WHERE IS IT?!"

Which was when Roy saw the little, red stone on the ring on his left hand crack and fall to the ground. Then it dissolved and disappeared before their eyes.

"No! My Stone! It was supposed to be perfect! How could it just break like that?!"

Roy was about to ask the Father a few more questions, but that was when a group of what was probably every guard in the church showed up, most of them carrying guns. "LOOK UP THERE! THEY'VE HURT THE FATHER!"

Then Roy and Hawkeye were ducking behind the banister, avoiding the barrage of bullets. They ran up the stairs to their right, followed by Alphonse who was attracting a lot of the fire while also shielding them. Roy hated to admit it, but they were outnumbered as well as chasing a fake Stone. The town was going to be in an uproar about them "attacking" the Father and they needed backup. They wouldn't be able to bring Cornello with them, not without putting themselves in further in harm's way just for a fool who obviously didn't know what he was doing.

And so, with the help of a few transmuted stone walls, they were able to get out of the church and were soon walking through the desert back to the train station. Roy brought a terrified Ed out of Al's chest the moment they were out of harm's way, and hugged him tightly for the trek through the sand.

"Daddy? Where are we going?"

"We're going to go back to East City. I've got an idea about what we should look into next."

That chimera had got Roy thinking. Maybe they didn't need a Philosopher's Stone at all. Maybe they just needed some sort of biological alchemy, and in that case, he was pretty sure that there was a State Alchemist in East City that had specialised in chimeras. They just needed to make a few phone calls to make sure.


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, so I thought I should just explain what's going on in Liore: Father Cornello has been eaten by Gluttony, Envy will take his place, but now that the military will come in and the rumour will spread that Cornello tried killing a five-year-old, many will question him, including Rose. And so the riots will happen just as they did in Brotherhood/manga. There will be a lot more soldiers dying, however, as much of the anger will be directed at the military.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but my complete manga box set.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

After a few phone calls and a train ride back to East City, Roy found himself being greeted by a familiar blonde with a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. "Hiya, Boss!"

Roy stepped off the train, taking Ed's hands in his so that Ed jumped the last, higher step down to the platform. Upon spotting Havoc, Ed hid himself behind Roy's left leg.

Roy saw that Havoc's mouth hung slightly open. He had clearly been informed about the changes to Ed, but was still a bit shocked to see them.

"Havoc? What are you doing here?" Roy asked as he heard Hawkeye and Alphonse get off the train behind him.

"Heard that you were coming back home so I volunteered to give you a ride to your house." He glanced at Ed with some of the guilt that Roy recognised having himself. Havoc had technically been the last one to see Fullmetal and obviously blamed himself for what happened.

"Daddy? Who's that?" Ed said in a low voice.

"That's a very good friend of mine and one of my previous subordinates, his name is Jean Havoc. You used to know each other," Roy explained kindly.

Havoc squatted down, smiling slightly at him. Ed moved forwards a bit, looking right at him. "Hello, Jean, I'm sorry I don't remember you."

"That's all right, Chief. It isn't your fault."

"You're sad like Daddy is. You feel guilty about me." Ed had probably fixed him with one of his nearly mind-reading gazes. "Don't do that. Lillian and Grant are the bad ones."

Havoc seemed a bit taken aback. He looked up at Roy, seemingly lost. Roy tousled Ed's hair.

"So you're "Daddy" now? Hughes is going to be over the moon," Havoc stated as he stood up.

"Don't I know it." Roy took Ed's hand and the five of them went over to the military issued car outside the train station. Ed sat on Roy's lap during the ride and Roy couldn't help but feel that there was something that Havoc wanted to say, but not while Ed was there.

When they reached their destination, Havoc turned his head around. "Listen, Boss, could I have a word?"

Roy nodded and handed Ed to Alphonse who helped him out of the car. "What's going on?"

"Scar is here in East City. Hughes and Major Armstrong are on their way as we speak. You should be careful, he's already gone after you once."

"Of course. And Jean, don't blame yourself for Ed. You were the one who did the most to prevent him from being taken." Roy thought for a bit. "And that's an order."

"Yes, Boss. How's he doing?"

"I guess he's settling in. He's still traumatised by what the Pentons did to him, but he's getting better little by little."

"That's good, I guess. So you're his "Daddy"? When did that happen?"

"About a week after we found him. Lillian Penton went after him, and I guess he just wanted to distance himself from them by choosing his own parents."

"And you're fine with that?"

"Yes. He's a really good kid and I care a lot about him already."

"You do, huh? Well, knock yourself out, just don't start showering us with pictures."

"Trust me, I won't. Thanks for the ride, and remember what I said. Don't blame yourself for Fullmetal. Otherwise I'm going to drag Ed to the office and make him give you one of his speeches. They can be pretty convincing you know."

"See yah, Boss. And enjoy family life."

Roy opened the car door. "I will. Take care."

"You too."

And so the door closed behind him and Havoc drove away. Ed came running up the driveway and Roy caught him in his arms, lifting him up. "Daddy? You forgot to give Auntie Riza the house keys," Ed said, hugging him.

Roy went up to the house and got his keys out of his coat pocket, handing them to Hawkeye. She opened the door and the four of them went inside. Roy flicked on the lights, sighing at the light coat of dust on the shelves in the hallway. It had been over two weeks since he'd been here last now.

"Well, Ed, Al, welcome to my, and therefore your, home."

"Wow, Daddy, your house is big."

"I guess it is. Al, you would probably be interested to know that there's a library in the basement, it's stuffed with alchemy books, it's that door over there. You're free to look at everything you want except for the research notes in the corner."

Al seemed to light up, "Thanks, Roy!"

"Now, here's the plan for the rest of the night: Hawkeye, you order some Xingese takeaway while I give Ed a bath and take a shower myself, then we eat before we go to bed. We go to the Tucker estate tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir. Should I order the usual?"

"Yes, just make sure to double Ed's portion."

"Of course, sir."

Hawkeye went to the kitchen, finding the takeaway menu and began ordering. Having an assistant that knew Roy well enough to guess where he'd keep his takeaway menus was both a blessing and a curse. Roy carried Ed on his arm while grabbing the car keys and threw them to Hawkeye who caught them without looking.

"Al, will you be fine on your own?" Roy asked, putting his free hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, thank you, Roy. I'll get started on the library."

"Good, have fun."

"I will!"

And so Roy took Ed's suitcase and carried it and its owner up the stairs and to the bathroom. There he got Ed out of his clothes before removing his own uniform jacket and his shirt in case of foam, and lifted the boy into the bathtub.

* * *

Ed looked up at Daddy as the warm water and foam filled up around him. Daddy was leaning his arms on the edge of the tub, smiling at him. "You know, Ed, I've got something you might like. I haven't used it before, so how about we make it yours?" Daddy stood up and went over to the cupboard under the sink. Ed was curious about what he was thinking about. Then he returned, holding a rubber ducky. Ed grinned.

"Why have you got a rubber ducky?" Ed asked as Daddy sat back down and dropped it into the water with a tiny splash.

"Maes bought me one as a delayed birthday present. I think he was a bit drunk, though. Don't know why I kept it. It's got to be about five years now."

"That's not a very good birthday present. I thought you grownups gave each other cups and plates and chocolates and flowers, not rubber duckies!" Ed eyed it as it disappeared into the foam before he retrieved it.

"Well, I bought him a toilet brush when he moved to Central, so we're even."

Ed laughed. He held up the ducky and looked at it. "We should give him a name."

"He's yours, what do you think he'd like?"

"I don't know. He looks a bit like a Charlie, don't you think? Or maybe a Jimmy."

"Then how about Jimmy-Charlie?" Daddy suggested.

Ed laughed. "Jimmy-Charlie Mustang Elric."

Daddy chuckled. "Jimmy-Charlie Mustang Elric, the coolest rubber ducky in all of Amestris. Say hello to your new owner." He held him up so that he was facing Ed, making him look like he was bowing his head slightly.

Ed laughed. It was a silly name, but it was funny. Daddy dropped it back into the water, and Ed had an idea. He pushed it down under the water and removed his hands, watching as Jimmy-Charlie flew out of the water and hit Daddy's forehead before he landed back on the water. Ed laughed at the silly look on Daddy's face. Then Daddy began laughing too.

"You got hit by a rubber ducky!" Ed giggled.

"I guess I did. But do you know what else he can do?"

"No, what is it?!" It was going to be funny if Ed knew his Daddy.

Daddy held Jimmy-Charlie under the water, squeezing him so that he filled up with water because of the little hole in the middle of his beak. "He can do this!" Then Daddy squeezed it so that water shot out of its beak, straight at Ed's forehead.

Ed squeezed his eyes shut, giggling as Daddy dried his face with a washcloth. When he was done, Ed threw his arms around his neck and hugged him, getting hugged back. Ed loved Daddy's hugs. They smelled like safety and warmth and they were great. They made Ed feel like he was being loved just like Mom's hugs used to, but Daddy's arms were bigger and stronger so he sunk even more into them.

Ed just had one little thing that had been bothering him since Liore. "Daddy? Why do you hurt people?"

"Because it's my job. I hurt bad people so that they can't do bad things to others."

"Do you want to hurt them?"

Daddy sighed. Ed had a feeling that he was thinking about it carefully. "When they have done really bad things, like hurting you or Al, then yes."

"So you hurt people when you don't want to?"

"Yes. But I do it to stop them, not to kill them."

"Daddy, please promise me that you won't kill anyone."

"Of course, Ed."

Ed rubbed his face into his shoulder. "I love you, Daddy."

Daddy kissed the top of his head. "I love you too, Ed."

* * *

When Ed was done with his bath, Roy went on to clean himself up too, but after he had gone and gathered some clean clothes in his bedroom. It was going to be so great to sleep in his own bed for the next few nights. He showered and dried himself off before he dressed himself in a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a white T-shirt. He came downstairs just as Hawkeye returned with a large bag of tantalising Xingese cuisine, and Roy went to get Ed. He guessed that he had gone down to the basement to join Al. Roy went down the stairs as he heard Hawkeye setting the plates. What he found surprised him. Ed was sitting there in his pyjamas, surrounded by a large number of small transmuted figures made from the wooden floorboards. It was the first time Ed had performed alchemy since his captivity, and now he was just sitting there, looking up at Roy like a deer caught in the headlights, the piece of chalk in his hand falling to the floor and cracking. Roy had been afraid that Ed had developed a kind of mental block against performing alchemy himself after what the Pentons did, so he was glad to see that that wasn't the case. And Roy was impressed. Incredibly impressed. The kid was five after all.

"D-did I do something wrong?" Ed asked, obviously scared of Roy's reaction.

"Of course not. This is incredible, Ed. Truly incredible." Roy smiled.

"So I can do alchemy when I want to?"

"Yes, of course, Ed, why would you think otherwise?"

"I-I thought you'd be mad. Lillian and Grant told me it made me a freak and that it made me bad and that I needed to be cleansed from it. Then they'd stick needles into me to make me forget how to do it. They said it was illegal and that Mom was wrong. That it was only meant for big children."

Roy felt his stomach twist. It was most likely something that they had said to make sure that Ed didn't try to escape. "Ed, did you try using it when you were captured?"

"O-once. I got free from the ropes and used some of the blood on the floor to try and create something I could protect myself with. They saw me before I got done and they tied me up again, tighter. T-That's when they began with the needles." Ed's eyes were filled with frightened tears and Roy strode over to him and picked him up, holding him tight, kissing his forehead. Ed began sobbing. "They said that naughty boys must be taught a lesson, and I don't know what was in it, but it hurt, Daddy. It hurt so bad. They said that if I did it again that I'd be arrested and put in jail."

"They were lying, Ed. They were the bad ones, I swear. You are an incredible, special, wonderful boy, you can do all the alchemy that you want to and no one will arrest you for it. They were only trying to frighten you." Roy had no idea that they had done that to him. He must have been even more scared than Roy had known.

He felt like beating Grant Penton up all over again. And then he'd torch Lillian Penton's skin off, inch by inch.

"You swear?"

"Yes, Ed. They just didn't want you to get away."

"Thank you, Daddy."

"Now how about we get you some food?"

"Yes, please."

Roy carried Ed up the stairs and into the kitchen where he ate together with Ed and Hawkeye. When they were done, Roy helped Ed brush his teeth and then they went to bed, Ed lying on top of Roy's chest, his head resting on his shoulder.

And so Roy held him, promising to himself that wherever Lillian Penton was, he would make her pay for what she had done to his son.


	16. Chapter 16

**Here we go, people, chapter sixteen!**

**And once again, thank you so so so sooooo much for your response guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

Roy woke the next morning to find Ed still asleep on his chest. Roy smiled. Then there was a knock on the door. "Sir? It's nine o'clock, I've warmed up the leftovers from yesterday and I've got a cup of coffee here for you."

_Bless you, Lieutenant._

"Please come in."

Hawkeye opened the door, walking inside with the promised coffee in hand. Her expression softened ever so slightly when she saw why Roy didn't open the door himself.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, please leave the coffee on the nightstand, I'll get to it shortly."

"Very well, sir. Would you like me to bring your breakfast up?" Her eyes fell on Edward's still-dead-to-this-world way of sleeping.

"Yes, please. Maybe the scent will wake him. Just take whatever you want first and me and Ed will eat the rest."

"Yes, sir."

And so Hawkeye left and returned ten minutes later, already done eating. The woman's efficiency was something both wonderful yet also slightly terrifying.

She put the tray down to Roy's right, the warm fumes wafting lazily through the air, slowly permeating the room with their exotic deliciousness.

They seemed to do the trick, as Ed's stomach began rumbling.

"I'll go get things ready, I expect that we'll be ready to leave in forty minutes?"

"Yes, thank you, Lieutenant."

She left the room just as Ed's stomach growled again. Then his nose began sniffing the air lightly. Then his eyes opened and he looked up at Roy. "Daddy?"

"Good morning, Edward."

Ed propped himself up on his right elbow, leaning it on Roy's chest as he watched the tray and its heavenly display of leftovers. Roy couldn't remember the last time that he had got breakfast in bed.

Roy began sitting himself up, leaning his back against the headboard, Ed sitting on his lap, already with a box on his own lap, gulping down the contents. Roy smiled and grabbed a box of his own. The way the kid ate left it impossible not to smile. He seemed to relish the simple fact of being able to eat.

_Which may not be far off …_

If Ed had been dreaming about his captivity, then being able to eat would be a thing that would bring him about as much pleasure as it did. Ed always ate his breakfast with a surprising amount of gusto. Roy put down his box and hugged Ed just as Ed finished the contents of his own box. Ed turned around and hugged him properly, the right side of his face pressed against Roy's chest. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

"You've been dreaming about the Pentons again, haven't you?" Roy sighed.

Ed seemed to sag slightly. "Yes. How did you know, Daddy?"

"It's nothing. I guess I just know you really well by now." Roy didn't want Ed to start thinking that he should eat less or slower. With everything that had happened to him, Roy just wanted him to be as happy as possible.

"Oh. Okay." Ed was silent for a minute, just sinking into the hug. "Daddy? Can you please adopt me?"

Roy felt tears sinking through his undershirt.

He was surprised by the request. "Why do you want that? I'm already your guardian?"

"Then I'd really belong to you," Ed cried. "With guardian you're just supposed to look after me. With adoption you'd really be my Daddy and no one can take me away because you have a kind of ownership. And … And then you'd really have made the choice instead of having the Führer ordering you."

"You're scared that I would give you up? That I'd just walk away?"

"I don't know. Just please. I want to belong. I want to really really be yours. I'm afraid that Hohenheim will come back and take me away. I don't want anyone to take me away. To say that I'm theirs because I don't belong to anyone. Please, Daddy. I don't wanna be a temporary arrangement." Ed was crying silently into his undershirt, shivering slightly.

Roy held him tightly, soothing him. He hadn't really thought that there was much difference, but Roy could see what it would mean to Ed. To actually have a father, a legal one that wasn't … well, **shit**. And he obviously felt that he didn't fully belong to Roy just with guardianship. And Roy would honestly love to say yes immediately, but he couldn't do that without hearing from Alphonse first. He couldn't just adopt one of them, or one of them against their will, could he? And he knew that Alphonse still called Hohenheim "Dad", which could mean that he was opposed to it. "I have to hear with Al first, but I'll see what I can do, okay?" Roy kissed the top of Ed's head.

Ed just nodded.

* * *

"Hey, Alphonse, could I have a word?" Roy walked down the stairs into the basement. He had asked Hawkeye to postpone their departure for a bit.

"Oh, Roy, is something wrong?" Al lifted his head from where he was sitting on the couch, a book on his lap.

"No. It's just, uhm … I had a talk with your brother, and he asked me something that I needed to hear with you about first…"

_Damn, this is harder than I had planned._

"What is it?" Al asked, kind as ever.

"Listen, I understand that you still care about your father and that you may not want to, but I was wondering, because guardianship is kind of temporary … how you'd like it if I adopted the pair of you?"

_There, Roy, you did it._

"Oh, uhm. So that would legally make you my father, wouldn't it?"

"Yes. And I know that I have been dedicating a lot of time to Ed, so if you need some time to think, I'll understand perfectly. But I'd like to be there for you, for the both of you. And it matters a lot to your brother … And I'd love to be able to call the two of you my sons. You and your brother are wonderful and I don't feel that taking care of you is a burden in any sense. And so I'd like to be your official parent, if you'll let me."

_There you go, Roy. A nice little speech. Now everything is up to him._

And even though he said he'd understand it if Al said no, he couldn't help but feel devastated at the thought. It was at these sorts of moments that Roy realised how much he cared about the Elric brothers. It was odd for Roy to feel like this. It had been a repressed thing for over two-and-a-half years, and then, upon finding Edward, upon realising that he was about to lose them, he had felt some kind of emotional panic. He hadn't felt like parent. Maybe like a distant uncle, while Fullmetal had been working under him. But upon realising that he could have something more, well, he had felt overjoyed.

He was scared as hell too of course. And confused. But with each hug from Ed and chuckle from Al, he knew that this was what he wanted.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" Al asked.

Roy went over to the couch and sat down beside him. Standing just made him feel awkward. "Honestly? For about twenty-five minutes. That was when Ed asked me. I hadn't really thought that there was much difference, but to Ed it would mean having a parent again and give him a sense that he belonged to someone. He's afraid that someone will come to try and take him away again because he doesn't feel like I, well, own him. He is scared because for the last ten years, the only ones who's tried to claim him have been the Pentons." Roy paused. He didn't want to make this all about Ed, Al needed to know that he was just as wanted. He braced himself for the grand finale. "I have been prepared for the responsibilities ever since the night we found him. So if you'll have me as your parent, I'm all for it."

_God, Roy. That's the best you could come up with? It isn't all about Ed and Al needs to know it, and that's what you say?!_

For some reason, Al began chuckling. "You decided that you wanted to be our legal parent in twenty-five minutes?"

"More like twenty-five seconds, but I needed to get dressed."

Roy couldn't tell if he was doing a good job anymore or not. He was panicking inwardly at his clumsiness. And he was known to be a smooth talker? What the hell had happened to him?

Al chuckled a bit more.

"What's so funny?" Roy asked, he was tense as hell and afraid that he was making a fool of himself.

"It's just funny how much you've changed in these last weeks. You've gone from being Brother's commanding officer to our guardian and now you're asking to be our dad."

"If it's a bit too sudden and you want –"

"Yes," Al interrupted him.

Roy felt his heart sink. "That's understandable, just tell me when you've decided."

"No-no! That's not what I meant! I meant yes to being adopted!" Al said urgently.

"You mean it?" Roy couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face.

"Yes. You've done so much for me and Brother these last few years and you've already proven yourself to be a great father. I trust you." Al hugged Roy and Roy hugged him back. "Thanks, Dad."

Roy felt something warm spread inside his chest at being called that by Al.

"It's my pleasure, Al."

* * *

"Hello, Sir, it's Colonel Roy Mustang." Roy had decided to just get this done as quickly as possible, and he knew that if he waited until later, then his mind would just be preoccupied for the rest of the day.

"Ah, Colonel Mustang, I hope everything is going well with you and the Elric brothers?" Führer Bradley asked at the other end of the phone.

"Yes, that's actually why I called. You see, Sir, I would like to adopt them in order to become their legal parent."

Bradley laughed. "I see the Elrics have taken you by storm! That's very good to hear, Colonel. And what does the Elric boys think about this?"

"It was Edward's suggestion in the first place."

"Ha ha ha! I see, Colonel Mustang. I'll approve the papers today, then all you have to do is sign them and send them to my office. You should be their legal parent by the end of the week."

"Thank you, Sir. And if I may make a second request, I would like to ask the state to stop paying me the compensation as they will now be my children and I do not feel it would be right to receive payment for taking care of my sons."

"That can of course be arranged. Enjoy the spoils of fatherhood, and good luck, Mustang."

"Thank you, Sir, I already am."

Bradley hung up the phone and Roy did the same. He smiled to himself. Asking the Führer himself to fix and approve the adoption papers was of course the quickest way to do this. He also knew that the man would be more than happy to do so, because, honestly, the military had screwed up the life of their most popular State Alchemist. They hadn't let the news out yet, but people were already asking about what happened to the Fullmetal Alchemist. So when the time came to the release the news of the Hero of the People's fate, then to be able to say that he was living a happy life with his adopted father was of course a way to sway the public's opinion in a more favourable direction.

Roy had received a call during their stay in Dublith that the state had decided to "forgo the embarrassment of a trial," which meant that Grant Penton had been placed in front of a firing squad and had been dead for a week now. It made him angry as hell at the military that they were trying to keep a lid on the fact that it had been a couple of officers that had done this. They were just trying to smooth things over.

Which meant that Roy was at least going to take advantage of that whenever he could in order to make things better for the boys. He knew that asking not to receive the rather large weekly sum may be stupid in the future, as it could be used in order to make a savings account for his sons, but he didn't want to be paid for this. He didn't want any of the state's bribery. They were his boys, he could damn well pay for them himself.

"Daddy? Who were you calling?" Ed asked.

Roy had wanted to surprise him when he knew for certain that the adoption was in order. He kneeled down in front of Ed, putting his hands on his shoulders. "The Führer. I'm going to be your legal Daddy by the end of the week." Roy couldn't help but grin widely.

"Really?!" Ed lit up, his golden eyes shining brightly.

"Really." Roy pulled him into a big hug which Ed was more than happy to return. Ed kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Daddy! You're the best Daddy in the world!"

Roy wasn't really sure about that, but right now, he damn well felt like the luckiest one.

* * *

**So ... the next chapter will be where I finally am going to introduce Tucker and Nina (And Alexander! That cuddly, giant dog is so incredibly lovable! I want one! He probably wouldn't even try to eat our bunnies!)**

**... Sorry about that, I just don't think that Alexander got enough attention...**

**And also, I'm just wondering, am I the only one who is sort of linking what happened to Ed to what happened to Nina? Because that is one of the main reasons that I'm not letting her die again, because Ed is more than sufficient proof of the horrors of what alchemy can be used for. I do not need Nina on top of that, it's horrible enough that she'll learn the truth about her beloved father.**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm so glad that you people liked the last chapter! And, for those who are wondering, even though I personally don't like Hohenheim, I won't make him out of character when he comes into the picture, just to make him seem worse than he is. I do understand his reasons, after all, I just don't understand why he couldn't have left a note. Told them something. Just something other than what he did.**

**Also, I am playing with the idea of Ed changing his name once the adoption papers go through. I'm just wondering what people prefer, personally I'd like him to change to Mustang-Elric, but is that just me? Should it be the other way around with Elric-Mustang, or not hyphenated at all? And should Al change his name too then? Please either PM me or leave it in a review, and I'll announce the results in a few days.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

Roy sat in the car, a still grinning Ed on his lap. Ed had kept hugging him for the last twenty minutes now. When Roy had carried him out over to the front door, Ed had shouted at Hawkeye and Al with glee that "DADDY IS ADOPTING US!"

And so they parked the car in front of the Tucker estate. It was a huge house, but Roy calmly walked up to the house and rang the bell hanging by the door. He was carrying Ed with his left arm, he had refused to let go of Roy in his childish happiness. Then Roy heard barking and was greeted by an enormous, white dog. It seemed very interested in Ed, and Ed was giggling and began petting its head.

Then the door was opened and Roy was face to face with Shou Tucker, the so-called Sewing-Life Alchemist. He had explained to Ed and Al about him as they were sitting on the train back from Liore. Ed still seemed a bit shy, though.

"Hello? Can I help you?" Tucker asked, just as a girl peeked out from behind his legs.

"Yes, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang. This is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye and these are my sons, Edward and Alphonse Elric. I was wondering if we could have a word?"

"Yes, of course. Well, I'm Shou Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist, and this is my daughter, Nina. Please come in, although I have to apologise about the mess, cleaning was always something that my wife was better at."

Roy followed him inside, as did Al and Hawkeye.

"I'm sorry, but you said Edward Elric? As in the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Tucker said, turning his head around and looking expectantly at Alphonse.

"No, it's not me, sir!"

"Oh. Are you perhaps related? It's not a common surname."

"Yes, well, you see, I'm Alphonse Elric."

Tucker stopped, looking at Ed with raised eyebrows. Ed shied away slightly.

"Edward was kidnapped a few weeks ago and left in his current form. He is no longer a State Alchemist," Roy said, trying not to say anything that would make Ed unnecessarily scared. Ed was still very sceptical about strangers, and Roy couldn't blame him. He didn't want to remind him too much of what had happened to him.

Tucker's expression became sorrowful. "I see. I'm sorry. It is such a shame for the military to lose such a brilliant individual."

Roy felt a surge of anger. "He still is. He may be ten years younger, but that doesn't make him any less brilliant," Roy said through slightly gritted teeth. "Besides, one should be more concerned about what this means for his friends and family." Roy tightened his hold on Ed.

"Oh, yes, of course. I'm sorry. Well, how about you sit down and I'll prepare some tea? I'll be back soon."

And so Tucker left and Roy sat down in a chair at the dinner table. Ed refused to let go of him, digging his face into his chest. He was probably having one of his bad days where he was simply overwhelmed by the changes to his life and grief for his mother.

Which was when Nina Tucker walked up to them, looking confused. "Is your son hurting somewhere?"

Roy didn't know what to say. He knew how to speak with Ed despite his age, but the boy was a genius. Nina was a four-year-old who probably didn't know even a quarter of the darkness in the world that Ed knew.

Roy decided to go with the simplest explanation. "His mother died quite recently."

"Oh. My Mom left us two years ago. It still makes me sad sometimes, but I don't remember her that much." The enormous dog walked up to her, begging her to scratch his back. Nina smiled and hugged him. "But Alexander helps a lot."

Roy smiled down at her. He had softened up around kids a lot it seemed after Ed declared him his Daddy. A part of him was actually scared at the prospect of how he would react to Elicia next time he saw her.

_Oh god, Hughes is probably going to be visiting today._

It was definitely going to happen. Maes Hughes always came visiting, often for a late night drink, the first day of his trips to East City. Which meant that Ed needed some mental preparation, and Roy should probably call Hughes and tell him about the changes in his sleeping schedule, mainly that he had one.

"I'm sorry, Nina, I need to go and talk to your father, okay?" Roy asked the obviously attention-starved young girl. "I'm sure Alphonse would love to talk to you, he's far from as scary as he looks like," Roy said, leaning down "confidentially".

Nina's eyes grew wide with understanding and she went over to Al.

Roy carried Ed into the kitchen, finding Tucker. "Excuse me, Mister Tucker, but do you have a telephone I could borrow?"

"Oh, yes, of course. There's one in the hallway to the right."

"Thank you."

Roy went and found the phone, dialling to the front desk at East HQ, where a woman soon answered.

"Yes, hello, this is Colonel Roy Mustang, my code is Charlie-Oscar-Mike-7-0-7."

"Your code was verified, what can I help you with, Colonel Mustang?"

"If you would please connect me with wherever Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is?"

"Just wait a second, sir."

Roy waited for about half a minute until the line was connected. "Roy! How good to hear from you! How are things going with the boys? You know, Elicia's constantly asking about her big brothers, it's so adorable! And you know I'll be coming in to check on you tonight, so you better be ready to share some stories about your boys!"

"I know you will, Hughes, which is why I am calling. If you're coming, it's not going to be for a night cap. Ed still needs me because of his nightmares, which means that I'll be going to sleep by nine."

"No problem, Roy! I'll just join you for dinner! I'll come around five o'clock, how does that sound?"

"Sure, Hughes. Now I need to go, see you later."

"You can count on it!"

Roy hung up the phone with a sigh. He cared a lot about Maes, of course he did, but his over-the-topness became a bit too much sometimes. And, besides, Roy was still pretty new to the world of parenting and wasn't really in the mood for Maes to get super excited about the fact that he was adopting the Elrics.

Although it was still worth it.

Roy looked down at Ed whose golden eyes were looking curiously up at him. "Daddy? Is Maes gonna come visit today?"

Roy smiled down at him. It was impossible not to smile at the look he was giving him. He just looked so innocent. "Yes, he is."

"Then why did you frown? I thought he was your best friend?"

"He is. You remember how I said that he was a bit eccentric?"

Ed nodded up at him.

"Well, he gets super excited about his family and he has always been nagging me about getting one myself. So now that I'm adopting you two, he's going to be super excited about it too."

"But you're not?" Ed seemed slightly disappointed.

"Edward, I'm happier than I can ever remember being for becoming your and Al's Daddy! It's just that I don't want to be excited about it the way that Maes is. Don't you agree that that would be scary?"

Ed seemed to ponder that for about two seconds and then he frowned. "It would."

"I just don't want anyone to decide _how_ I should feel happy about you two, that's all."

Ed nodded and smiled before he hugged his arms around his chest. "I love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, Ed," Roy said, kissing his forehead.

And so he carried Ed back with him into the dining room, where Tucker was sitting together with Hawkeye, Al and Nina. The two children seemed to have hit it off, and Tucker was smiling fondly at them. He looked up at Roy and Ed. "Ah, Colonel Mustang, did your phone call go well?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Oh, Nina, Daddy is going to discuss work now, so how about you go out in the yard and play with Alexander?"

Nina seemed slightly disappointed, but nodded and waved at Al as she left the room.

"Perhaps you would like to join her, Edward?"

Ed didn't answer, he just hugged Roy tighter. Roy had to say that he found Ed's behaviour to be a bit odd. Something wasn't right. But it was obvious that he didn't want to leave Roy for a single minute.

"It will be perfectly okay for Ed to join us. He is still a bit nervous after his ordeal," Roy said

"Oh, yes, of course. Now, what would you like to know?"

"We would like to look into your research, if you would allow it."

"Of course. You're free to look at whatever you want." Roy had a feeling that there was a "but" hanging in the air, but Roy's rank seemed to be enough to keep it at bay.

Tucker seemed to be dying to ask some questions of his own, but he kept them to himself, making Roy believe that the man was interested to know about Edward in more detail. And so they drank their tea in relative silence.

Tucker showed them to his laboratory, which made Ed clamp his hands over his ears because of the loud screeching from the different chimeras in the many cages. Roy decided quickly that this room wasn't really one that they would be using much, and they left within minutes.

Then they came upon a large library, which seemed to cheer Ed up slightly. Tucker left the three of them to read as much as they wanted while Hawkeye kept a lookout.

Ed sat on Roy's lap as Roy sat down on the floor with a book which seemed promising. He had only read the first two pages when he noticed that Ed was indeed reading too. And so Roy waited a couple of minutes until Ed could finish the page too.

"Daddy? Are you done soon?"

"Yes, of course, I've been done for a few minutes," Roy said kindly.

"Well, I have too. Can I turn the page?"

_Shit. So I read at the same pace as him?_

Apparently he did, at least that's how it seemed. Ed would from time to time ask about a few expressions or references, but otherwise he seemed to understand it.

Which made Roy realise something. As Ed's father, he could actually be the one to teach him alchemy. Or should that responsibility fall on Alphonse? If he wanted to, then he was definitely the one who had the most right to teach Ed. They would have to talk about it later.

Roy continued reading until he was interrupted by the sound of laughing and clanking. Ed seemed to have heard it too.

"That's Al," Ed said.

Roy stood up, Ed still in his arms as he refused to walk on his own. They turned around a few bookshelves to find Al and Nina playing horsey, both of them giggling. Roy couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. It just showed exactly how sweet Al was.

And so Roy just let them continue playing before he sat back down and read on, letting Al be the kid he was.

After a while, Hawkeye came over to them to inform them that it was time to go. Ed still clung to Roy's jacket, so Roy kept carrying him, thanking Tucker for his hospitality.

"Did you find anything useful?" The man asked.

"No, unfortunately not."

"Then you're more than welcome to come back for as long as you want. Nina is very happy to have a playmate again. I'm afraid I don't have much time for her at the moment, my assessment is coming up in a few days."

"Oh, I see. Then I wish you good luck, and thank you."

And so Roy, Ed, Hawkeye and a slightly unwilling Alphonse made their way out into the car.

"Mr. Tucker sure seems like a nice man. And Nina is so sweet. Why don't you join us tomorrow, Brother?" Al asked.

"I don't like Tucker. He feels like Lillian and Grant," Ed said, and Roy suddenly understood why Ed had clung to him during the entire visit. "I don't think he's a good man."


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

There were a couple of knocks on the door and Roy went over and opened, still wearing an apron. As a special request from Ed, they'd be having stew for dinner, and Ed had been a big part of making it as they were following his mother's recipe. And so they came into the kitchen to find Ed standing on a chair, stirring the contents of the pot, wearing a white apron that reached his ankles. He looked over at them, smiling. "Daddy, I think it's done!"

Maes had of course already taken out the camera and taken a picture before either Ed or Roy knew what happened. "How cute!" Then he looked over at Roy, slightly crestfallen. "But I suppose you don't want me to take pictures, do you?"

Before Roy had even had time to think, his mouth had opened. "Actually, Maes, I would like you to give me a copy of that."

Roy froze. Then he thought about it. Yes, he would like it very much. His son was cooking while smiling up at them. It was a great moment and Roy would like to have a copy.

Maes' mouth was hanging slightly open. Then he grinned. Then he hugged him. Maes had thrown his arms around him and _hugged_ him. "Roy! How wonderful! You have finally found the happiness of fatherhood! Welcome to this wonderful world! Of course I'll give you a copy! This needs a celebration!" Then he let go of Roy and instead pulled Ed into a hug, making the boy frown. Ed was a hugger, but not much of a multi-person one. He still had some trust issues after all. "And you're the one who brought it about! To think he has already become your Daddy!"

Roy couldn't help but watch in amusement as Ed put his right hand on Maes' scratchy chin and pushed it away from his head. Maes came over to Roy, handing him the grumpy boy, and Roy gladly accepted, as did Ed.

"Only Daddy and Al are allowed to hug me." Ed said, clinging to Roy's neck before protest-kissing his cheek. "Right, Daddy?"

Maes had of course taken another picture.

"If that's what you want, then that's how it is. As long as I'm included, I'm happy," Roy said, smiling at Ed. He wasn't going to confuse him by being less affectionate just because Maes was there. He was just going to take things as they came, no matter how embarrassing Maes Hughes was going to try to make them. "Now let's have a look at that stew."

"Yes!"

"I told you, Roy, you're a natural! Look at how good you are with him!" Maes said, still rejoicing.

"Daddy? Should we just tell him?" Ed asked in a low voice as they reached the stove.

"Might as well get it over with. Hey, Maes, we've got another piece of news actually. By the end of the week, the adoption papers will be in order."

Roy could hear the man freeze where he stood. Then. "ROY! THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! NOW I JUST NEED TO GET YOU AN ALBUM AND YOU CAN PUT ALL YOUR CUTE LITTLE PICTURES IN IT!"

"Daddy, you won't become like him, right?" Ed asked, looking scared.

Roy kissed the top of his head. "Not when we have such a good relationship already."

Ed hugged him back. "I love you, Daddy. Don't change."

"Love you too, Ed. And I won't."

Roy turned around to watch Maes looking torn between a stroke and a heart-attack. Then the man just fell to the ground, hands on his cheeks. "Ooooh! How adorable!"

Al came into the room, looking down at Maes. "Dad? What's wrong with him?"

Which caused Maes to start rolling gleefully on the floor.

"Oh, nothing, Maes is just having a seizure on the kitchen floor. Just give him a couple of minutes."

* * *

Ed was sitting on Daddy's lap, just closing his eyes and listening to him and Maes talking. They were sitting in the living room, Daddy in the chair and Maes on the couch. Al and Auntie Riza were out for a walk. Ed just curled up on Daddy's lap and felt those strong arms closing around him, holding him in this comfortable position, letting him rest his head on Daddy's right arm.

"But really, Roy, it's good to see you settle down. I'm really happy for you. Those boys are going to make your life amazing."

"Thanks, Maes. I have a feeling that you're right. They've already changed my life so much, but it's so rewarding, you know? Just hearing Al chuckle, seeing Ed smile. It may only have been a few weeks, but they're my boys. My sons."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you for so long. It may take a lot of work, but the reward of seeing them grow up, I bet you, there's nothing like it."

"Well, Elicia's not even three yet, how can you really know that?"

"Roy, imagine Ed and Al in three years, and tell me how much better you're going to know them. You've only been their guardian for about three weeks, and look at yourself. You've gained Edward Elric's trust to the point that he asks you to adopt him. They both see you as their father. Imagine how much those boys will mean to you then."

Daddy was silent before he leaned down and kissed Ed's head and then began stroking his hair. Ed loved how safe it felt here. The world had got so much scarier, so much colder, but at least Ed had his Daddy. Those four days with Lillian and Grant, the fear he had felt. Knowing that they would keep jabbing those needles into him until they managed to make him theirs. The cold. It had been so cold. So dark. So much pain. And fear. He had never been so frightened in his life. He was so afraid that each of those needles would either hurt him, or they would make him forget who he was. He had thought there was no way out.

Then he came. He shot flames at them, making it warm. He gave Ed his jacket. He got him out.

And here he was, warm and safe. Daddy was hugging him, telling Maes how much he cared for him and Al. It was so good.

Ed smiled, hugging Daddy's arm to him. "I love you so much, Daddy."

Ed felt himself being lifted onto Daddy's chest, strong arms closing around him tightly. "Then I love you even more than that, Ed."

Ed heard the click of Maes' camera.

Ed just hugged his Daddy.

He had a thought as he sat there. Now that he had a great, loving Daddy, maybe he should change his name? Then he'd show that he belonged both to Mom and Daddy. That would be nice, really nice. That would probably make Daddy really happy too. Ed had a feeling sometimes that Daddy didn't really like himself that much. He was acting like there was something that he had done that was really bad. Something so bad that he felt that he didn't deserve Ed and Al. Which was why Ed thought that Daddy was going to be really happy that Ed wanted to take his name. That he was proud to be his son. Because even though Daddy had done bad things because he was in the military, Ed knew he was a good man. Ed just needed a little time to figure out what he wanted his name to be.

* * *

All in all, it had been a nice visit once Maes had calmed down and it was possible for Roy to actually discuss parenting with the man in a more grownup way. He knew Maes was a good father and that his family loved him to bits. Roy wasn't going to become scary in that way, but Ed and Al were his kids now, which meant that he was definitely getting some changes. Roy had actually asked Maes to give him copies of five of the pictures in question. He planned on putting the one Maes took of Al hugging Roy as he held Ed on his lap in his wallet. Al had actually asked that they could take one like that, and Roy wasn't opposed to it. He wasn't one for posing much for pictures, or at least, looking like he hadn't just been arrested and was posing for a mugshot. But Ed had seen that and decided to do something about it. The little boy had therefore looked up at him sternly. "Daddy, you need to look happy!" Ed had then stood up on his lap and kissed his cheek. "Remember that me and Al love you and then it's easy to smile!" Roy had begun laughing and had hugged Ed tightly before kissing his cheek and let Ed sit back down, both of them grinning.

Maybe he should get an album and a camera? Not to annoy people, but to have something to look at later on. Something that would help him remember these happy days. Alphonse would come of age in just four years after all.

Ed snuggled up to Roy's chest, he was already asleep where he lay under the covers. Roy smiled and kissed his forehead, earning a satisfied grunt from Ed.

"Good night, Ed. Remember, Daddy loves you."

* * *

Al was standing by the phone, waiting for someone to pick it up in the other end. Dad had said that it was okay and probably a good idea to tell the Rockbells about the adoption. It was funny to think of him that way, but it felt good to have a father present again. And when he was adopting them, then Al thought that it would be nice to just start to think of him that way. And it made Al really happy actually. And he could see how happy it made Dad. It was actually pretty funny to think that that was "The Colonel".

"Rockbell Prosthetic Limb Outfitters."

"Hello, Winry, it's Al."

"Oh, hey, Al! Is everything alright?"

"Yes, things are pretty great actually." Al couldn't keep away the excitement in his voice.

"Oh? So why are you calling? You pretty much phone just to deliver bad news usually."

"Well, you see, me and Brother are getting adopted."

"You are? By who? Not Colonel Mustang?" Winry was obviously surprised.

"Yes. He'll be our legal Dad by the end of the week."

"Wow, Al! I don't really know what to say about that. How does Ed feel?"

"Ed is happier than I've seen him in a long time. It was him that asked Dad in the first place."

"So now you're calling him "Dad"?"

"Yes. Ed's been calling him "Daddy" for about two weeks now."

"He has? I would have thought it would take about a year at least for him."

"Yeah, but Dad thought it probably had something to do with the Pentons and that Ed wanted to choose his own parents. He's been great to us for these last few weeks."

"Well, Al I'm glad to hear that he's treating you well. And you two are happy?"

"Yes, I think we are. You know, Winry, even though it hurts losing Big Brother like that, it's still him. And he's so happy to have a parent again. It's so good to see him not be guilty about eating in front of me. He used to carry around so much guilt as well as the weight of the world, and he doesn't any more. He still feels like it's his fault, but he is more set on making things right rather than dwelling on the past. I think he's trying to rectify his past in a way, because he can't remember it. I haven't seen him so hopeful in years. Maybe it really is an Equivalent Exchange. He may have lost a lot, but to see him be that happy again… It's like he's got a second chance in a way. So I miss him, but I'm also happy for him … And I've got a parent again."

* * *

Winry couldn't help it, she was crying. She was trying to keep it to herself, but it was hard right now. Al's childish joy in that last sentence, so pure, so innocent, so deserved, it was just too much. "Th-that's great, Al. I'm so happy for you."

"Winry? Are you crying?"

"N-no! I've just got a cold! Listen, Al, those were great news, but my throat's getting really sore…" Winry didn't really know why, but she couldn't keep the conversation going anymore.

"Oh, okay. I hope you get better soon! Say hello to Granny for me!"

"Thank you, Al, I will. Enjoy your time with your new father. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Winry."

Winry put the receiver down and then just slid down against the wall, tears flowing freely, barely repressing a sob.

Granny came walking over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Winry? What's wrong?"

"Ed and Al are getting adopted."

"Colonel Mustang's adopting them?"

"Yes. They're more happy than they've been in years. So why does it hurt?"

Granny took her head and leaned it against her stomach, hugging her. Winry just cried.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

Roy had thought a lot about what Ed had said to him about Mr. Tucker, but he honestly couldn't see anything wrong with the man. He still kept his eyes out, though. He wasn't going to let Ed's suspicions just pass. If the boy had picked up on something, then Roy would be damned if he let another child get tortured.

Today, too, Ed refused to let go of Roy as they went through the house. It had been like that for three days now, and Ed just grew more and more scared of Tucker for each day. He had suggested that they stopped researching, but Ed refused. He just wasn't going to let go of him. He wanted his protector to be there with him.

"Hey, Ed, Dad! Why don't you take a break and come play with us in the garden?" Al asked.

Roy thought that was an excellent idea, also because Ed needed a break from his nervous reading. "Yes, let's go, Ed, okay?"

Ed didn't answer. He was completely focused on his reading. Roy slowly began closing the book, making Ed look up. "Daddy? What's up?"

"We're taking a little break and are going to play with Nina in the garden."

"Oh, sure."

And so Roy stood up, carrying Ed on his arm. They went out into the garden and Roy thoroughly embarrassed himself and would have lost all credibility at HQ had anyone witnessed him, dressed fully in his uniform, playing horsey with Edward. Yet, as he walked forwards in the grass on all fours, he couldn't help but smile because of Ed's gleeful laughter. Hawkeye was thankfully not saying anything.

But honestly, Roy had seen Ed's disappointed face as Nina raced around the garden on Alexander's back, so Roy had made him an offer and the boy said yes. He should learn to say no to those boys of his, but he just couldn't. Besides, they were both very well behaved and Ed never demanded anything, but just sometimes made the occasional request, so Roy wasn't really over-indulging them, was he?

Ed bent down forwards, putting his right cheek next to Roy's left, hugging him. "Thanks, Daddy!" Then he planted a kiss on Roy's cheek before he kept hugging him.

"You're welcome, Ed."

Then out of the blue came a white blur headed straight for them, and Roy instinctively tilted sideways, letting Ed fall behind his back before he twisted around and hugged him against his chest, dreading the incoming attack. That dog was huge after all and Roy guessed those paws would hurt a lot. Ed was laughing against his chest. Next moment, Roy had the enormous dog lying on top of him and Ed, and Ed yelped as the large dog covered his head.

"Daddy? Heeeelp!" came a muffled voice.

Roy was panicking slightly, his arms were locked in place after all. Then Nina was calling Alexander to her, making the dog bark excitedly before he let go of his prey.

Roy looked down and met a pair of startled golden eyes. "W-was that Alexander?"

"I believe it was."

"I don't like him anymore."

Roy didn't even know what to say and stood up, watching as Nina and Alexander ran around the garden, Ed on his arm once again. He couldn't help but smile as Nina used Al's back as a slide, although Ed had lost his nerve with Alexander running loose and was content just sitting there, watching.

* * *

When they got home that day, Roy found an official-looking envelope inside the mailbox. Roy grinned, flipping it over and seeing that it was indeed from the office of the Führer himself. "Ed, you might want to open this one."

Ed took it and tore the envelope open, and inside were four pieces of paper. Two for Roy and two for the state. Ed's eyes grew wide and then he shouted in happiness at Hawkeye and Al in a not quite articulate fashion.

The first thing Roy did was sign the adoption papers, and soon he had two sheets of paper stating that Ed and Al were his the moment the copies were registered back in Central. Roy felt a big surge of pride and joy, as well as the hugs from both his boys. Soon. Very soon, he was officially a Dad.

* * *

It was two days later and they were sitting by the dinner table, sipping tea and hearing the story about Tucker and his wife, and Ed's nervousness was at its worst.

"Hey, Nina, you wanna play with Daddy tomorrow?" Tucker asked, smiling.

Nina began smiling and jumped into her father's arms. "Really?!"

"Yes."

"Alexander! Daddy's gonna play with us tomorrow!"

Alexander barked in confirmation.

Roy smiled, reminded of how things had turned out for him recently.

"NO!" Ed shouted, struggling out of Roy's grip before he climbed onto the table and crawled over to Tucker, pushing Nina out of his arms.

"Ed!" Roy said, shocked, standing up.

"NO! YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT! I WON'T LET YOU! YOU'RE NOT KILLING HER!" Ed was gripping Tucker's collar with both hands, his voice terrified and angry.

Roy stopped.

Everything just _stopped_.

"I hate perceptive brats like you…" Tucker said.

Roy felt his blood freeze. "Lieutenant, Alphonse? Please take Nina and Alexander outside," Roy growled.

They did as they were told, his voice so dangerous that they didn't even dare question him. Right now Roy knew he couldn't remove Ed without emotionally scarring both Ed and Nina, so he would just have to let him stay.

Ed was shaking.

Tucker was staring at Roy and then back at Ed. "Damn you …"

Then he slapped Ed, making him release his shirt and fall back on the table.

Whatever there had been to make Roy stand frozen in place disappeared in a flash. He roared and strode around the table, grabbed the front of Tucker's shirt and slammed him against the wall. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU GOING TO DO TO HER?!" Roy demanded.

For some reason, Tucker laughed. "Come on now, Colonel Mustang? I deal with chimeras. It must be obvious to you."

Then something clicked. "**That human speaking chimera was your wife?!**"

Tucker laughed again.

Roy hit him. "AND NOW YOU WERE GOING TO DO THE SAME TO YOUR DAUGHTER?! YOU THINK YOU CAN PLAY AROUND WITH LIVES LIKE THAT?!" Roy was reminded too much of what had happened to Ed.

Tucker laughed, his lip bleeding. "YES! PLAYING WITH LIVES! JUST LIKE YOU DID WITH YOUR SON OVER THERE! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YOU RECRUITED HIM BECAUSE IT HELPED YOU TOWARDS A PROMOTION! YOU BROUGHT A TWELVE-YEAR-OLD CHILD INTO THE MILITARY OUT OF YOUR OWN SELFISH NEEDS! HOW MUCH HAVE YOU BEEN MANIPULATING HIS LIFE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS?!"

"DON'T YOU DARE, YOU MONSTER!"

Roy punched him and he punched him, but he kept laughing.

"NOT TO SPEAK OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU DID IN ISHBAL! HOW MANY DID YOU KILL? HUNDREDS? THOUSANDS? THAT'S PLAYING WITH LIVES TOO! WHAT SORT OF A MONSTER DOES THAT MAKE YOU?! HOW MANY CHILDREN DID YOU KILL?!"

Tucker just kept laughing through each punch, his face a bloody mess.

"I BET YOUR SON DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT! WHY DON'T WE LET HIM DECIDE WHO THE MONSTER IS? TWO LYING DADDIES! WE'RE JUST THE SAME!"

"NO, WE'RE NOT! I WOULD NEVER USE MY CHILD LIKE THAT!"

Roy hit him, yet he kept laughing through his broken face.

"**_DADDY_**!" came a heart-rending scream. Roy stopped, panting heavily. He let go of Tucker, letting him slump to the floor. He turned his head around slowly, looking at Ed. The boy was just sitting there on the table, tears streaming down his face. He was absolutely horrified. "Please stop it, Daddy. Just please."

Roy's instincts were screaming at him to hug Ed, but with what Tucker had told him, he didn't feel like he deserved it. He couldn't really see Ed wanting to be hugged by him after what he had heard.

"Daddy, I wanna leave," Ed said, stretching his arms out for him.

That was it for Roy and he strode over to his boy and hugged him tightly and Ed immediately began sobbing.

Roy carried Ed out of the room, leaving the now unconscious Tucker on the floor. He would have to talk to Ed. Only when they were in a hallway far away, did Roy slide down the wall and sigh. He didn't know what to say to Ed. He didn't know how to begin to explain.

And he had been so happy. He had been so god-damned happy! He had thought that Ed and Al would be his salvation and instead they would most likely want nothing to do with him now. He would have explained it to them eventually, of course, he just needed Ed to be old enough first. And now Tucker had ruined everything for him! He would have to call off the adoption, everything. He was going to lose his sons because of this.

DAMN IT!

Roy felt a tear running down his cheek.

Ed began wiggling to get free. Roy let him. If he wanted to leave him, then he was allowed to. Roy was a monster after all.

Instead Ed just stood up and walked over to Roy's right side, before he put a hand on Roy's cheek and dried away his tears. He then kissed Roy's forehead and hugged him.

"You're hurting again."

Roy couldn't understand this, he really couldn't.

"You're not a monster, Daddy. You're a soldier and the way you're hurting from being reminded of it, you're ashamed of what you did, and you only did it because you were ordered to. Besides, Al already told me how you and me used to fight. Trust me, Daddy, you're not a monster, and I've met three of them, so I know how to recognise one. Please don't hate yourself because I don't wanna lose another parent."

Roy couldn't keep himself from hugging him. He wanted Ed to forgive him, but this easily? "How can you not hate me knowing what I have done?"

"Because you're my Daddy and if I felt like hating you then I wouldn't have given you that title. I love you, Daddy."

And Ed hugged his arms tightly around Roy's chest.

"So you actually still want me as your Daddy?"

"Yes. Now stop being stupid."

"Yes, sir," Roy said, hugging Ed tightly. God, how he loved those boys.

"Daddy?" Ed said after a few minutes.

"Yes, Ed?"

"I wanna change my name."

Roy was surprised. "Okay? To what?"

"Elric-Mustang."

Roy felt his heart clench. This sweet, innocent boy wanted to take his name?

"You really want that?"

"Yes, Daddy. Then I'm both yours and Mom's. And it's hyphenated."

"You sure?"

"I've been thinking about it for a few days now. I'm sure. Which means you have another call you need to make."

Roy hugged Ed as tightly as he dared, feeling, for the first time, happy tears forming at the corners of his eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

**So, I'm having some issues with the app and the online version of FanFiction, so I sincerely hope that this chapter turns out to look like it does here in the document manager. **

**Am I the only one who's unable to view stats and gets a funny-looking, unresponsive menu to the left? It also happens when I try to manage my stories, but at least it works once I press the horizontal options menu on top of the page.**

**Anyway, if everything is all right, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and thank you for sticking with me and this story so far.**

**And I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter** **twenty**

"Hello? Teacher?" Alphonse asked into the phone. They were at East HQ and Alphonse was on the phone while Hughes was given the task of giving a child-friendly explanation of what Tucker had been up to to Nina. Al didn't really know what Tucker had said, but Ed had been clinging onto Dad while Dad's hands were bleeding and Riza suspected that his right wrist was sprained as well. Dad had told him what Tucker had been planning and Al was absolutely horrified. Him and Nina had become very close friends during these last few days. He was just glad that Ed hadn't trusted Tucker.

So now Alphonse was standing here, trying to find a good solution to their problem: keeping Nina out of an orphanage. And so Al had thought about Teacher and Sig, and what she had told him about her failed transmutation to bring back her child. Al had stayed true to his word and hadn't said anything to anyone about it, but right now, it would be so great if Teacher and Sig would consider taking Nina in.

"Alphonse? What is it?" Teacher asked.

"It's hard to explain, Teacher, but you know what you told me when we were there? Well, there's this girl, Nina. She's four. Her … her father was going to make her into a ch-chimera just so that he could pass his assessment. He already used his wife two years ago to create a talking chimera. Nina doesn't have any other family to go to."

"You want us to adopt her?" Teacher's voice was both soft, surprised and as always, strict.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but she's really sweet. I couldn't think of anyone else and I don't want her to go to an orphanage. She still loves her father and she needs someone who doesn't have to care about twenty others at the same time. Would you please just consider it? I-I already know how great you and Sig are with children and it would be better if she went to someone who knew about what alchemy can do. Please, I don't know what to do otherwise."

"Alphonse, you know how much you're asking of us, right?"

"I do, I'm sorry, it's just that I've been playing with her for the last five days and I care a lot about her and if she went to you then we could keep in touch with her. And I know that you and Sig would be great to her. What Tucker was about to do to her … it reminds me of what happened to Brother. She needs a parent just as much as he does, we can't just put her in an orphanage."

"I don't know, Alphonse."

"Teacher, I know you may feel like you failed your child, but maybe Nina would be a way to make things right? She was wronged by alchemy, you are the only one I know that can actually make her see how alchemy should be used because you have the proper respect. Dad is already too busy with Ed, he can't take in another one."

"Al, give me a few minutes, okay?"

"Of course."

Al stood there, waiting for at least five minutes.

"Okay, Al, we'll come to meet her. I'm not saying that we're taking her in, but we'll meet her. Where are you staying right now?"

"We're at East HQ. Thank you, Teacher."

"I'll see you in a few days. Goodbye, Alphonse."

"Goodbye, Teacher."

Al hung up the phone, knowing that Nina would be in good hands. Teacher and Sig were going to take her in, he just knew it.

Then he realised that he had forgotten to tell them about Alexander.

* * *

Ed was walking next to Daddy, his hand in his. They were laughing, although Ed couldn't remember about what. It was still great though. Then the sunny street they were walking on turned dark and the pavement underneath them was cracked and full of grass. Ed didn't like this, it didn't feel right. He looked up at Daddy to tell him that they should turn around, but Daddy was crackling with red energy and then he was looking like the old Ed. Ed screamed and moved to run away, but a gloved hand was still gripping his right one. "You're not going anywhere, Crybaby."

Ed screamed again. "DADDY! DADDY! HELP!"

The old Ed just picked him up and carried him on his shoulder. Ed was crying, screaming, trying to get someone to help. "Ah, shut up, will you? I'm just taking you to your Daddy, you know."

"No! You're bad and I know it! Let me go! PLEASE!"

The old Ed just laughed. Suddenly they were walking through the front doors of Tucker's house and Ed was carried into the dining room. The old Ed dumped him into a chair, but despite Ed's struggles, he managed to tie his wrists to the chair. Then suddenly Ed was sitting there in only his boxers. He was terrified, panicking.

Then he saw Tucker lying there on the floor, bleeding, but somehow getting to his feet and walking towards Ed.

"See, I told you I'd take you to Daddy," the old Ed said, grinning.

"HE'S NOT MY DADDY! MY DADDY IS ISN'T A MONSTER!"

"Oh? But he's just like me, I told you so," Tucker said.

"HE ISN'T!"

Then suddenly Ed felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and Ed turned his head, looking up at Lillian and Grant. "Oh, come on now, my son, you know he is a monster. You shouldn't lie, Edward. Liars are bad boys and bad boys need to be punished," Lillian said, pulling out a needle.

Ed shrieked, struggling against his ropes, but unable to get away. There was some crackling and the old Ed turned into the Roy-thing again and strode forwards, placing a cold hand on his shoulder. So cold that it hurt. "I'm a monster, Ed, and you know it." Then he pushed Ed forwards and Ed could feel the needle being pushed into his back and the hurting that came from the contents being injected into his body.

And Ed was screaming and screaming and screaming.

"EDWARD!"

Ed opened his eyes. Daddy was looking at him, the lamp on the nightstand was on. Ed was sitting, as was Daddy. Ed sniffed. "Daddy?" he said, choking on his tears.

"Edward, it was just a nightmare." Then he kissed his forehead and hugged him tightly as Ed began sobbing.

"I-it was that th-thing from Dublith and Lillian and Grant and Tucker! They t-tied me up and said you were a m-monster! But I told them you're not and Lillian called me a b-bad boy and she pulled out a n-needle! A-and the thing made itself look like y-you and it said you are a monster and pu-pushed my head down and then Lillian stuck the needle into my ba-ack!" Ed wailed. Daddy had said that it helped to talk about nightmares, and he was right, but what Tucker had said had frightened Ed. He hadn't had a nightmare that vivid for days now.

Daddy just held him, his hands so warm and safe and so unlike the Roy-thing's. The support bandage on his right wrist was digging slightly into his back. "It's alright, Ed, it's alright. No one is ever going to do that to you again. Not as long as I'm here. You're safe. You're safe."

Ed kept sobbing until his fright was gone in the warm hug. He knew that Daddy wasn't a monster. He just wasn't. Daddy was a nice man that was haunted by the bad things that he had been ordered to do.

"Do you think you can sleep again?"

"No." Ed looked at Daddy's undershirt. It was covered in tears and snot. "You need to wash that." Ed sniffed, noticing that he had some snot that had been smeared across his cheek.

Daddy looked down at it and took a clean corner and dried Ed's face before he threw it off and hugged him again. "Right, is that better?"

"Mhm."

Ed just clung to Daddy. Clung to his safety and warmth. Clung to his smell. It smelled like always being protected. To be cared for. It smelled like his Daddy and it was the one thing that the Roy-thing couldn't replicate.

Ed didn't know how long he sat there before Daddy spoke again. "How about we make you some cocoa?"

Ed lit up, nodding into his chest.

* * *

Roy slid off the bed, figuring that it wasn't exactly a good idea to let go of Ed judging by his reaction to his nightmare, he just walked downstairs with him in only his pyjama bottoms. They hadn't been able to take Nina in till the Curtises arrived because of Alexander's habit of jumping on Ed which left the boy extremely nervous. Al had therefore volunteered to join Nina where she was staying at the hotel with Hughes. Hughes' superdad powers seemed to do the trick for Nina thankfully, so she wasn't a sobbing mess although she was thoroughly distraught. This left the house feeling a bit empty, seeing as how it suddenly didn't feel right with the lack of clanking.

Roy looked at the clock on the kitchen wall; it said a quarter past one. He sighed inwardly. He was honestly still amazed at the fact that Ed was still hanging around his neck, hugging him. It can't be easy, having a father that has killed thousands of people. Yet Ed still loved him. He actually wanted to take his name. Roy was honoured, yet he was afraid that it might mark the boy in a way.

"Ed? Are you still sure that you want to take my name?"

"Yes, Daddy. And I already made you call the Führer to have it changed, and there's no way that I'm taking it back."

"But still, Ed … You know that there are people that won't like you because of that name?"

"I don't care. I am your son and I want everyone to know that. I belong to you, Daddy, and that's important to me."

Roy really couldn't figure out his boy, but, oh, how he loved him. He hugged him as tightly as he dared, kissing his cheek. To have someone as pure and as innocent as Ed wanting to take his name, it meant the world to him. That all of this could happen in just three weeks still left Roy kind of breathless, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

Roy made the cocoa, Ed clinging to him the whole time, complicating the task, but not hindering it entirely from being performed. It was an odd thing, having this cuddly little boy hanging around his neck as he made cocoa in the middle of the night. It wasn't exactly what he was used to. He wasn't really that tired either. The fright that Ed had given him as he wouldn't wake up from his nightmare and was repeatedly screaming didn't exactly calm Roy down. And Ed had been screaming for him as if his life depended on it. Those shrieks still had Roy on full alert. It had been about two weeks since the last time Ed had been screaming in his sleep. What Tucker had said obviously affected Ed quite badly, although, judging from his dream, not in the way Roy had expected. He had been punished for protecting Roy, instead of Roy being the bad guy.

Roy poured some of the contents of the pot into two mugs and carried them over to the kitchen table and sat down, Ed still clinging to his neck. His wrist hurt, but it wasn't that bad. He'd had worse.

Roy wasn't really a big cocoa drinker, and he certainly wouldn't make it just for himself, but he couldn't deny that the sweet beverage tasted good. He could of course start drinking his long before Ed could, he was used to drinking about five cups of coffee each day. Ed, on the other hand, would probably scald himself, so he was sitting there, puffing into his mug in order to cool it down.

"Daddy? Why do you stay in the military?"

Roy put down his mug and sighed. He had expected the question to come at some point or other, and he had decided to answer it truthfully. Ed was his son and deserved an answer.

"Because at the end of the Ishbalan war of Extermination, I made myself a promise. I am going to become the Führer of this country and change it. I will give the power back to the parliament and make this country a democracy and I will return their holy land to the remaining Ishbalans." What Roy couldn't tell Ed was his plans to put the people that were praised as war heroes to trial as war criminals. He wasn't going to give Ed any more nightmares. He just couldn't do that to him. He knew that the day that Ed found out, he would be furious with him, but Roy would take it when the time came. He just wasn't going to let his son live in fear of losing his Daddy for years, maybe decades.

He just couldn't help but feel cruel though.

"I see, Daddy. That's good. You see, a monster wouldn't think like that. You are a good man, just like I told you." Ed said and hugged him tightly. "The best Daddy I'll ever have."

Roy squeezed his arms around him and kissed the top of his head. "Thank you, Ed, you and Al are the best sons in the world."


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry that the chapter's a bit short, it just seemed like a very good place to end it.**

**And I thought I should just clarify if people are confused by my use of "Ishbal" instead of "Ishval": I was introduced to FMA via the manga, where it's Ishbal, so it just feels the most natural to me.**

**And once again, people, thank you so much for your response to this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter** **twenty**-**one**

Roy and Ed passed the time with Roy teaching him a few new transmutations. Ed was obviously a quick learner, and if Roy hadn't seen it, then he wouldn't have believed that it would have been possible for such a young child to be such an accomplished alchemist already. It was an odd thing for Roy to do, he hadn't taught anyone before. Still, it was nice, sitting here, Ed on his lap, smiling widely at Roy's impressed and happy face.

Roy just couldn't help but notice that Ed was drawing all his transmutation circles with his right hand, without feeling a pang of regret. He remembered teasing Fullmetal about his awful handwriting the first year after he joined up, but the automail clearly didn't allow him to write with his dominant hand. The fact that he hadn't even considered it made a lump of guilt form in his stomach.

He put his arms tighter around Ed and hugged him for what had to be at least the thirtieth time in the last two hours. Ed just leaned back against his chest and grabbed his left arm, hugging it back and making a few happy grunts.

Roy thought that Ed was getting sleepy because that was usually when he began grunting. Roy could understand why, the boy had lost more than half his usual amount of sleep that night. "Ed, do you want to go to bed?"

"No, scared." Ed hugged himself closer to Roy.

Roy just kissed the top of his head, knowing him well enough to know that he would probably be asleep within the next hour. Roy was naturally going to go back to bed in that case. It was only six in the morning and he wasn't leaving Ed to wake up on his own. Roy had barely slept himself because of what Tucker had shouted at him and he'd been dreaming mostly about Ishbal.

He heard a door opening upstairs and figured that Hawkeye had woken up by now. The way she walked suggested that the stairs were afraid of creaking under her feet. At least, that is what it sounded like.

She came into the kitchen, slightly surprised at finding Roy there together with Ed. The latter was turning towards her. "Morning, Auntie Riza!"

"Good morning, Ed." Hawkeye tied her light blue dressing gown tighter about her, completely covering her pyjamas sweater, only leaving a pair of checkered trouser legs and white slippers visible. Roy became aware that he was sitting there in only his pyjamas bottoms and probably looked a bit odd. Not to speak of the fact that Roy's eyes had to be rather red from lack of sleep. "Good morning, Lieutenant. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you, sir." Roy didn't have to tell her that Ed had had a nightmare, it was fairly obvious from the way they looked.

"Daddy taught me some new transmutations, you wanna see?" Ed said excitedly.

Hawkeye smiled and sat down at the table. "Of course, Ed, I'd love to see."

And so Ed drew a transmutation circle onto the wooden table, transmuting parts of it into a single piece of paper that folded itself into a swan.

Roy smiled, as did Hawkeye. "That was very impressive, Ed. Did your Daddy teach you that tonight?"

Ed nodded eagerly before he drew a new transmutation circle and placed the swan inside it before he activated it and returned the table to normal. Ed turned his head to Roy expectantly and Roy smiled at him widely. Roy knew that this must remind Ed rather a lot about his mother. Al had told him about how they got into alchemy mostly to see her smile.

Roy hugged him. "You really are talented, Ed."

Ed grinned and Roy tousled his hair.

"Should I prepare some breakfast, sir?" Hawkeye asked.

Roy was hungry, but he was mostly sleepy. "What do you think, Ed?"

"I'm hungry," Ed said with a yawn, not exactly giving a very clear answer as he leaned his head against Roy's chest and closed his eyes. After about a minute, Ed began snoring gently and Roy looked over at his Lieutenant. "Looks like it's back to bed instead. We've been up since one, so how about we say that we'll leave at twelve o'clock?"

"Very well, sir. I'll call the hotel to let them know that we'll be late."

"Thank you, Hawkeye."

Roy stood up, carrying the sleeping boy in his arms and was soon lying down on the bed with the little body curled up on his chest. It only took him a few seconds after that to fall asleep.

* * *

Ed woke up on Daddy's chest. He had woken up because Daddy was moaning in his sleep, his heart beating fast under Ed's right ear. Daddy was holding Ed tightly. "No! You can't take them! Don't!" Daddy was obviously having a nightmare. "Please!"

Ed slid his hand up to Daddy's right cheek, stroking it. "Daddy, it's alright. It's just a nightmare. Please wake up."

Daddy didn't respond. Ed figured he should employ a different set of tactics and just hope that the results were positive. Daddy was obviously distressed and Ed didn't like it. Ed took his free left hand and stretched it over Daddy's arm before he began tickling his right side. Daddy began making sniffing noises, obviously reacting, and Ed tickled him more. Suddenly Daddy sort of buckled and woke with a high-pitched giggle.

"Wha-wha?!" He said, confused. Ed had stopped tickling him the moment he woke up.

"You were having a nightmare, so I tickled you awake," Ed said, smiling, pleased with his result.

"You tickled me?"

"Yes! Just like this!" Ed tickled his side again, instantly making Daddy snigger while twisting his legs.

Daddy grabbed Ed's arms in order to stop him. "Please, don't do that," he said, still smiling with some panic in his eyes.

"Daddy, you're really ticklish!" Ed laughed.

"Well, so are you!" Daddy said, a mischievous grin forming on his face. The next second he had pulled Ed's pyjama top over his head and thrown it on the floor before he lifted Ed down on the mattress beside him and leaned over him, tickling his sides. Ed giggled. Although he was slightly frightened, it was funny. "Here's the Ticklemonster!" Daddy announced, grinning. Ed squealed with frightened delight and began twisting and turning as he laughed.

Daddy could see when it was enough and stopped, pulling Ed in for a hug instead. Ed hugged him back, smiling widely.

Daddy sighed. "I guess it's time to wake up then."

"Do we have to?" Ed moaned, digging his face into his warm chest.

"Afraid so, Ed. Remember, Al and Nina are already waiting at HQ."

"Fine."

And so Daddy lifted him up and carried him into the bathroom and soon Ed was sitting in the tub, foam growing quickly around him. Ed looked up at his smiling face and put his wet hands on his cheeks. "Daddy? What was your nightmare about?"

"It's not important."

"Daddy, you always tell me that it helps to talk about your nightmares, so tell me."

Daddy looked at him for a few seconds and sighed. "I dreamt that I was back in Ishbal and that the people I killed tried to take you and Al away from me. They said that I was a monster and that I didn't deserve you."

Ed looked up at him sternly before he pulled his head down and kissed his forehead and hugged him. "Daddy, the only monster that you are is the Ticklemonster. You're good and kind and the best Daddy in the world and whatever some people say that you deserve or not doesn't matter. You love me and Al and we love you back and that's final. If anyone tells you that you're bad, then they're just stupid."

Daddy kissed Ed's cheek and hugged him back. "You know, Ed, you and Al are a couple of miracles."

Ed felt warmth spread through his chest, Mom had told him that too. "I love you Daddy."

"I love you too, Ed."

They sat there like that for a while. Ed felt really, really happy. He had made the perfect choice with making Roy Mustang his Daddy, he was completely certain of that now.

Yet Ed had a little thought that struck him. If Daddy was the Ticklemonster, then Ed was Ticklemonster Jr.

…Which meant that Daddy's left side was only a few centimetres away from his right hand. And so Ed slowly began wriggling the fingers of his right hand and the result was spectacular. Daddy jerked backwards and pulled Ed out of the tub and they landed on the floor, Ed now tickling him with both hands, chanting "Ticklemonster Jr.! Ticklemonster Jr.!" as Daddy wheezed with laughter.

Ed knew when to stop, however, and let Daddy get a chance to breathe. He just threw himself down on his chest, hugging him tightly. A few seconds later, a familiar set of strong arms hugged him back, now laughing because of something else.

"Ed, you really should be careful, but you truly are Ticklemonster Jr."

"I know, Daddy."

"Now let's get you back into the tub." And so he lifted him up by his armpits and put him back so that many tiny foam bubbles burst all around him and Jimmy-Charlie crashed against his side. Daddy was full of foam now.

Ed filled Jimmy-Charlie with water and began shooting water at Daddy to get the foam off. Ed laughed along with Daddy as he tried to grip the rubber ducky but Ed was too quick for him. Ed liked how Daddy always made the morning baths fun, although Auntie Riza always ordered him to clean the bathroom properly afterwards because they always got foam and soapy water everywhere. Ed could even have sworn that the first time since she started sharing the same bathroom, she had stepped inside and muttered "boys" once she saw the walls.

* * *

Roy smiled. He was wet all over, especially after the "Ticklemonster Jr." thing. That part actually filled him with joy because it was one of those funny little things that reminded him that he really had become a father. He was, however, slightly scared that Ed would use his newfound weakness. He was going to be absolutely mortified if word got around at HQ that Colonel Roy Mustang, future Führer of Amestris, was ticklish.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-two**

Roy walked hand-in-hand with Ed into East HQ. They walked into the office that Hughes was located at, and was surprised to find that the rest of his old team were there as well. Hawkeye took his and Ed's coats as they stared at the familiar faces. Havoc grinned and waved at him, as did Breda and Fuery, while Falman saluted. "What are all you doing here?" Roy asked, a slight smile on his face.

"Well, apparently they needed to set up a team quickly, and as we were being moved between departments until they know where to place us, they figured that it was a good idea to put us here to assist the team from Central. Hughes may also have requested that he'd work with officers that he knew," Breda explained. "So how's family life?"

"Daddy's adopting us and will be getting a letter tomorrow with his certificate! And I'll get a letter with my new name on it!" Ed said excitedly. Roy was happy to see that Ed was getting quite comfortable around the team.

Even Falman looked confused.

"You're changing your name?" Havoc asked.

"Yes! I'll be an Elric-Mustang from tomorrow on!" Ed grinned.

Roy had a feeling that it didn't help his team's confusion. He would have thought that Hughes would have kept the office updated, but then he figured that it was just Maes trying to be funny by not giving them a heads up. And only Roy and Ed knew about the name change, their focus had mostly been on Nina yesterday.

Falman saluted again. "Congratulations, sir!"

Roy honestly wasn't sure which one he was referring to, but Ed saluted him back, looking extremely sweet, if not slightly unsure. Roy chuckled and lifted him up on his arm. Ed leaned on his arm and grabbed it with both of his, hugging it to him.

"Okay, Havoc, you win. He's actually become a family man," Breda said, handing Havoc a few bills. Havoc smiled broadly, and Roy had a feeling that they would disappear into a few packs of cigarettes.

"You were betting on me?" Roy said.

"Sorry, Boss. Thought Havoc was pulling our leg."

"So you didn't believe that I can be a family man?" Roy was mildly insulted. He knew that yes, he'd mostly been having girlfriends and no steady relationships for years, but he did want to settle down eventually. That would of course come later, though, right now his sole focus would be on Ed and Al. He had simply got children before the steady girlfriend.

Okay, so he could see their confusion. He had been a womaniser just a month ago, and now he was an adoptive father taking care of none other than Edward and Alphonse Elric.

"It's not that, it's just … It took a short while for you, sir," Fuery said.

"Yes, I guess it did." Roy looked down at Ed who was still hugging his arm and kissed the top of his head. "But it's fine. More than fine."

Breda smirked, Havoc looked unsure, Falman was Falman and Fuery looked like he too had fallen under Ed's spell.

"Hey, Boss, does this mean that you'll finally stop stealing my girlfriends?" Havoc said, hope evident.

"Daddy?" Ed said, confused, scrutinising him with those golden orbs.

Roy felt himself losing a bit of his cool. Usually, he would have joked, but now he had a five-year-old son.

Ed could obviously find some guilt in his face, because he frowned. "It's not nice to steal! You should apologise to Jean!"

Roy cursed inwardly. He'd rather not apologise in front of everyone, but if he didn't, then he wouldn't be setting a good example for his son.

Roy looked at Havoc who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation and sighed. "Sorry, Havoc, I won't steal anymore of your girlfriends."

Havoc grinned, and it seemed that the rest of the team caught on as to how many apologies they could demand from him, just because of Ed's presence. Breda and Havoc were laughing when they were done, and walked forwards to shake Ed's hand. "I think you should become an honorary member of our team, Chief. You're practically a human lie detector," Breda said.

Ed shook his hand and looked up at Roy. "Daddy? Am I on your team now?"

"I guess you are, but no missions for you yet though," Roy said fake-strictly.

"What's my rank, then?"

Roy honestly didn't know. He didn't want to give him a low fake rank in case Ed got disappointed. He sighed fondly as he looked into those golden eyes that shone of love. "You're the honorary Führer."

Ed's eyes widened and he laughed and hugged Roy closely. "Yay, Daddy! I'm your honorary boss!"

The others looked stricken. The fact that Roy had named his five-year-old son the team's honorary Führer just showed how soft Roy was becoming. Well ... he couldn't take it back now, so he just hugged Ed back.

"Where's Al?" Ed asked after a minute.

"He's in the inner office with Nina, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes and Alexander," Falman said.

"Thank you," Ed said sweetly. Falman smiled ever so slightly.

Roy carried Ed with him into the inner office, and Ed was immediately greeted with barks and shouts of "Brother!" and "Big Brother!".

Roy still couldn't put Ed down on the floor due to Alexander's uncanny love of jumping on him. Ed was simply too small for it to be safe. And so Al compromised by taking Ed and Nina both into his arms and held them, leaving the kids to talk while Roy went over to Maes and stood leaning against the wall beside him, arms crossed.

"Hi, Roy, I got Hawkeye's message. Heard Ed had quite the nightmare." He looked sadly over at Ed as he laughed along with Nina while Al ran around the room, jumping here and there, earning excited squeals from his two passengers. "Was it about Tucker?" he asked with a low voice.

"Among other things. Mostly he was trying to convince Tucker, the Pentons and that thing we met in Dublith about how I'm not a monster. It ended up with the Pentons calling him a liar that needed to be punished, so they stuck another needle into his back. I managed to wake him up after that."

"Five-year-olds shouldn't be dreaming like that."

"Don't I know it. He was screaming his head off, calling for me. I hate feeling so helpless. It took me five minutes before I managed to wake him. The way he was screaming, I haven't heard anything like it. Not since Ishbal."

"You had a nightmare yourself, didn't you. It's in your eyes, Roy."

"I really can't hide it from you, can I?"

"It's a look I've learnt to recognise. You see it a lot around Central. We weren't the only ones to fight in Ishbal after all."

"Do you see it on Ed's face?" Roy had been wondering if it would be a good idea to bring in a psychologist and if Maes thought that Ed seemed as bothered by this as the Ishbalan veterans, then he would like to know.

"No. He doesn't feel like he deserves it after all."

"Oh, I see."

"So tell me, what was your nightmare about?"

Roy knew that there was no way that Maes would let it lie. The man was in investigations after all.

"I was back in Ishbal. The smells were all there. There was blood and bodies all over, and I was watching it with Ed and Al. Then the bodies started rising, their faces burnt, many had missing body parts. And suddenly they were attacking me, dragging Ed and Al away from me. They said I didn't deserve them after what I did. They were taking my kids and the way Ed was screaming for me …"

"I know how that is. Had the same dream after Elicia was born. But it's okay, Roy. Nobody's taking your kids away from you. You're their legal parent from tomorrow on. They're your boys, so you just make sure to make as much as you can out of your time with them. They'll help you heal while you help them heal. They need you just as much as you need them, and they're both great boys. Just focus on how lucky you are to have them."

"I already am."

They just watched the kids playing together, smiling. "How is Nina doing? Did you tell her everything yesterday?"

"I think she should be allowed to grow up a bit before that. I did tell her what Tucker did to her mother. She was pretty broken up about it. That dog saved her a lot of tears. I think she'll be all right, though. I don't think she really understands it, she hardly remembers her mother after all. She's probably not going to be as affected by this as Ed was by what happened to him. Mostly she just misses her dad."

"That's good at least. I'm just glad that Ed picked up on what Tucker was up to before anything happened. I would never have thought that Tucker could be so twisted. To use his own daughter just to pass his assessment."

"Well, the Pentons were willing to destroy their son just to make him fit their requirements."

Roy felt his fists clench and spoke through gritted teeth. "He's not their son."

"Nor am I saying that he is. I'm just explaining their perspective. I can see how Ed saw Tucker for what he truly was is all I'm saying."

"He's taking my name." Roy said it without thinking. He was honestly still worried about that. He was eternally marking himself by doing it. It was probably going to put him in more danger. "Should I really have let him?"

"He's taking your name? When did he decide that?"

"He told me yesterday that he had been thinking about it for a few days. Tomorrow the official letter will come, stating that he is now "Edward Elric-Mustang" with a hyphen. He made me call the Führer yesterday."

"But Roy! That's great! He'll be in danger whether or not he carries that name or not. It really doesn't matter if he had kept his old name, plenty of people already know that you're his father by now."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I'll protect him if it's the last thing I do … I'm worried that people will look upon him differently for it. Mustang is an uncommon name so most people will immediately connect him with me. I've done some truly horrible things, Maes, I don't want people to think that Ed condones them and look down upon him for it. What if they start to fear him? What if, by agreeing to call the Führer, I have doomed my son to forever live in my shadow?"

"Roy, it's his choice, and besides, his name still begins with Edward Elric, more people will recognise him for that. You should just remember that Ed chose it because he's proud to call you his father. He wants to show that he has a great dad. Because you are, Roy, otherwise Ed wouldn't have grown so close to you after what happened to him. And Al also calls you his Dad. So just show them that their trust in you is worth it. Make their childhood as great as you possibly can … Otherwise I'll sic Elicia's cuteness on you!" he said, pulling one of his dreaded pictures of his daughter out of his pocket and shoved it into his nose.


	23. Chapter 23

**If anybody's wondering, I will of course have some Al-Roy bonding as well, I'm just trying to slowly get comfortable writing Al. (For some reason I find him harder to write, but it's getting easier and easier with each time!****)**

**Anyways, this is an Al-heavy chapter, but with some Ed as well.**

**I hope you people will enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-three**

Al just watched his brother, not sure what to think. Nina was lying on the floor, sleeping, using Alexander as a pillow, the dog snoring slightly under her.

"You're changing your name?" Al said, staring at his brother sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Yes. I'll be Edward Elric-Mustang from tomorrow on."

"So that's what the certificate will say?"

"Guess so."

Al had never thought about changing his name. He'd always had his mother's name, seeing as how her and their father never were married. He'd just been Alphonse Elric all his life. It was odd to think that his brother would be an Elric-Mustang from tomorrow on. Maybe he should change too? After all, Dad had been great to him and Brother for weeks and was certainly their new father. It would be nice to sort of show how he belonged to him too now. He just didn't know if he was ready for it quite yet. He liked Dad a lot, although it was still a bit odd to think of him that way, but it just felt a lot more natural around Ed. He was kind and he had clearly thrown most of his life out the window for the pair of them. Although Ed needed a lot of attention, he was there to listen, to be a dad.

And Al really looked forward to when he would be able to feel one of his hugs. To really be a son. To be his son. It had been a long time since Al had been able to feel like that.

"Al, are you okay?" Ed asked.

"Yes, I'm just thinking."

"Oh."

Ed looked over at Nina and yawned loudly. Dad obviously saw it, and he came over and picked Ed up before he sat back down as he leaned his back against the desk while Ed Curled up on his lap. Dad removed his uniform jacket and put it over him. He then just sat there and stroked his hair as Ed fell asleep. Ed was probably going to nap for about an hour. Al liked how Dad always was there when Ed fell asleep, Brother seemed to otherwise be unable to actually doze off.

"Hey, Dad?" Al asked once he was sure Ed was asleep.

"Yes, Al?"

"Uhm … do you want me to change my name too?"

"That's perfectly up to you. I won't look at you any different no matter what you choose. I can see how it is rather abrupt and you shouldn't feel pressured to change it. You just do what you feel like, when you feel like it."

"Oh, okay."

Dad sighed happily. "To think, from tomorrow on, you two are officially my sons."

"I guess you didn't see that one coming when Brother kept breaking down your office doors."

Dad chuckled. "No, I certainly didn't. But I'm happy, you know? I'm thrilled to be able to call you my sons." Dad sighed. "You know, Al, I should probably tell you, I don't really know how a father is supposed to act. I'm basically working with my instincts here, so if there's anything that I'm doing wrong, please tell me. I want to give you two the childhood that you deserve."

"You're doing a pretty good job so far," Al said with a chuckle. "Can I ask why you don't know how fathers are supposed to act?" Al suddenly realised what that could mean and gasp. "Your father didn't _hit_ you, right?"

"No, my parents died when I was still quite young. I was raised and adopted by my aunt."

Al was surprised. He had never even considered his childhood. "Oh, I'm sorry about your parents."

"That's alright, Al." He smiled at him warmly. "I suppose she's your grandmother now. I should tell her about you two."

Al felt rather excited at that thought, but there must be something wrong judging by his choice of words. "Aren't you that close?"

"Well, it's mostly that we're not that good at keeping contact. I have a feeling that she'll be rather fond of the pair of you. Maybe we could take a trip to Central to meet her. We just need to make an appointment first." He looked a bit awkward at that.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, you see, she owns a hostess bar, so I'd rather the establishment be closed when we're visiting.

"A hostess bar? What's that?" Al could have sworn that Dad was blushing faintly.

"It's a bar where the waitresses are paid to also ... flirt with the guests. You can imagine how I would look if I came in there with Ed during business hours. Maybe it would be better if we met her at a restaurant or something."

"Why would you pay for strangers to flirt with you? If you know it's their job, then it's not real."

Dad seemed to regret entering this part of the conversation and was turning pink. "I'll tell you when you're older."

So it had to do with _that thing_. Al had read enough science books to know the basics of it, but he was still quite unsure what the point was when people weren't making babies.

Which meant that Dad was actually going at some point to have a sit down with Al and tell him. To have "the talk". Al had come across the term in a few books. And it was a proper father/son thing to do. Something that a real dad did when his son reached a certain age.

That was one of those moments when Al really felt that he had got a Dad again.

"Thank you, Dad."

He looked confused. "For what?"

"For being a Dad. For being my Dad. For wanting to be our Dad."

"Of course I want to be your Dad, Al. You and Ed are the best sons I can think of. You're strong and intelligent as hell, but you are both so stunningly selfless and compassionate at the same time. Any parent should be proud to have you boys. I'm lucky. Really, really lucky."

"Thank you, Dad." Al was filled with warmth at the shower of compliments. He sat himself closer to him, wanting some kind of closeness although he couldn't feel it. Al just sat there like that for a minute, watching Ed sleeping with a little smile on his face.

Al decided to just ask Dad about something that had been bothering him for the last week now. "Dad? Are you happy that this happened to Brother? Because I think I am, and I don't know what to think of it."

"What do you mean, Al?" he asked softly, not denying the statement.

"I mean that Brother hasn't been this happy in years. He's had so many bad things happen without the comfort of a parent, and he's so more at peace with the world. It's good to finally see that. To see him have his limbs again and not carry the weight of the world anymore. And I hate what the Pentons did, I really do. It's just, he's smiling while he's sleeping. He hasn't done that since Mom died. And I miss him, all the time, but it's still him. He's still my brother, he's just so much happier. And it got us a Dad again. I really have a Dad again ... Does this make me selfish?"

"No, Alphonse. It makes you my son. My wonderful, compassionate son. You said it yourself, you're happy because he's happy. And you're happy that life has finally given you a lucky break and given you something that you have been missing in your life for much too long. That doesn't sound selfish to me at all." Dad paused for a few minutes. "And yes, I'm happy too. I'm sad about losing Fullmetal, of course I am, but now I have you two. I have the two most wonderful boys in the entire world, and it was at the cost of Fullmetal. It nearly tears my heart in half when I think about it, but then I try to remind myself that I have been given the chance to make sure that your brother grows up like he should. Like he deserves. Somehow I've been given this chance despite my failure as his commanding officer. And I won't fail you two. Never. I love you boys more than you'll ever know."

Al was so glad to hear this. To get the reassurance. "Thank you, Dad, I love you too."

* * *

Ed was happy. He had been afraid that Al and Daddy kind of wished he was the old one. Ed was afraid of messing things up and hurting Al because he wasn't the big brother he knew. But they were happy for him. They loved him and they didn't want to change him. Ed just wondered how bad it must have been being the old Ed when Al was relieved. Because Ed still felt guilty about Al and he only slept well at night about half the time, so he was scared of finding a solution if it would make hiim hurt so much. In a way it made Ed feel guilty, because Al needed his older brother, but now they had Daddy, so maybe he didn't? They had said that they couldn't change him back, but what if that was wrong? Ed didn't want to go back to being the old Ed. He sounded like he was in so much pain and hurt all the time for things that weren't his fault and Ed didn't want that. So to hear that they were happier with him this way, made something he'd been dreading since Dublith go away. He was still sad about all he had lost, but Ed was still Ed, right? Daddy kept talking about the old Ed and Ed like they were different people. But maybe that just made it easier for him. The old Ed hadn't been his son after all. And Daddy wasn't lying when he said he loved him. Ed knew that. He still had a feeling that he wasn't supposed to hear the conversation though. That they thought he was sleeping.

He liked listening to them talk, just to hear how they got along. To hear that he was Al's Daddy too. Ed still had to look after his little brother after all, which meant that it was important that Al and Daddy were close too.

"I'm just still sorry that your brother never thought much of me," Daddy said with a sigh. "That's one of the biggest regrets of my life. I should have done more for him. I really was a bastard to him, just like he used to tell me."

Ed got a bit uneasy at hearing this. He still couldn't see how his Daddy had been anything but nice to him. Daddy was a kind man after all. Ed knew his Daddy.

Didn't he?

"Dad, you shouldn't think about that. Brother teased you just as much as you did him."

"But still. I used to threaten him with a court-martial just to make him do stuff. I should have been kinder to him."

"Dad, I honestly believe that you and Brother were too much like each other. You didn't try to make friends because it was easier to just not face your similarities. Brother was just as much at fault as you were. He had too much pride and didn't want to seem weak. You two were just too stubborn."

Ed hadn't heard this part of it before. He didn't know that it was this bad.

"Al, I was the grownup that brought a twelve-year-old into the military. I should have acted my age, Fullmetal was just acting his after all. But no, I called him an insubordinate brat. I really can't see how you managed to overlook that and actually trust me. Your brother must have hated me."

"I don't think he did. You just annoyed him, that's all."

Ed felt horrible. Had they been that bad? He knew he couldn't just pretend to sleep anymore, he needed an answer. "Daddy? Was I really like that?" Ed looked up at him and saw him pale slightly.

"Ed! I –"

Ed wasn't angry, he was just confused. He sat up, the jacket falling off him. He felt tears pressing slightly at the corners of his eyes. "I was, wasn't I? Why did you cry over me like you did when I behaved like that? Why would you wanna take me in? We didn't even like each other!" Ed felt the tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Daddy brought his arms around him and held him tight. "It doesn't sound like you at all, Daddy!" Ed wailed.

"Ed, you need to understand … I didn't act like I should have. You were great, you really, truly were. I was just too stubborn to see it at the time. I just –"

"What happened, Ed, was that you got to know the true Roy when he lost the old you," Maes suddenly said. "Your Daddy is a natural when it comes to keeping up façades. He just regrets not having let you see past that while you were still your old self. Being a Colonel at his age means that when he wants to reach the top, he has to act a lot more ruthless than what he truly is. He was afraid to let you get close because it meant that he would feel a lot more vulnerable. Your Daddy is still the good, kind man that you know, don't you worry."

Ed looked up at Daddy and saw the fear that his eyes held. That and the single tear that threatened to leave the corner of his eye. Ed stretched upwards and wiped it away before he sat back down again. Daddy wiped Ed's eyes with his hands before hugging him again. He obviously didn't know what to say.

Which was when Ed understood why Maes Hughes was Daddy's best friend.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-four**

Ed woke up the next day, turning around to watch the alarm clock on the night stand. It said a quarter past ten, which meant that the mail would have arrived by now. Ed slid out from under Daddy's arm, his fingers tickling his side as they slid over Ed's bare chest. Ed had been having so many nightmares, he hadn't been sleeping in his pyjamas tonight because he had been sweating so much.

He sprang to his feet and ran through the hall, down the stairs, through the second hall and practically crashed against the door as he unlocked it. He ran straight outside and over to the mailbox, finding what he had been waiting for for about a week now. He knew that it was addressed to Daddy, but he still ripped it open and found the certificate stating that Roy Mustang was now officially his legal Daddy. Ed grinned and then took the envelope addressed to him with his new name on the envelope. He tore that one open too just for good measure and read through it quickly. He laughed gleefully.

He looked over to his left, seeing someone he guessed was his neighbour. The old woman looked shocked at him, her old, brown dress and shawl flapping in the morning breeze.

"Young man! Where are your _clothes_?"

"Upstairs." Ed thought it was a stupid question.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Edward Elric-Mustang! Daddy has adopted me, look!" And so Ed ran over to the fence and leaned over it, waving the documents at her. The woman looked shocked and didn't seem to believe him. She read through the documents in question and scoffed.

"So the Colonel has gone from bringing women home with him on a nearly daily basis to adopting naked boys?!"

"Why do you say it like it's a bad thing? He's the best Daddy in the world!"

"He hasn't told me or my husband anything about it, and last I spoke to Colonel Mustang, we talked for forty minutes because I had invited him over for tea."

"When was that?" Ed thought the woman was a bit odd honestly. She seemed pretty stiff in a way.

"A month ago."

"Oh, Daddy found me after that!"

"And exactly how did he "find" you?"

Ed thought the woman was getting pretty personal, but she was still holding his documents. "Tied to a chair. Can I have my documents back now, please?"

The woman didn't move. "He found you _tied to a chair_?"

"Yes. Please let me have those back." Ed pointed at the documents, but the old woman put her hands on her hips instead.

"And why?"

"I got kidnapped. I don't really wanna talk about it. Can I please have my mail back?"

"And you just happen to be named after two State Alchemists?"

"Only one. I used to be the Fullmetal Alchemist, but I had my licence revoked."

She frowned, glaring at him. "You boy, are a nasty liar. These papers are obviously fake. As if the Führer himself would get involved in the matters of an adoption and a name change. Are you trying to blackmail my neighbour, is that it?"

"No! Roy Mustang is my Daddy! Now please give me those back!"

"Then you'll have to come over here and get them."

Ed did as he was told, those papers were important and otherwise this mad old woman would probably rip them to shreds. She grabbed his wrist and began dragging him towards the porch. Ed didn't like this and began shouting for his Daddy, but that only seemed to make her angrier. Next moment she had sat herself down on a chair, putting those valuable papers on the table next to her, still holding onto Ed. Ed kept shouting towards the house on the other side of the fence. The woman bent him over her knees and began smacking his rear, making pain shoot up from where her flat hand struck. Ed began crying instantly. "DADDY! HELP!" Ed screamed as she struck the second time. She obviously had some rings on her fingers and she hit him with surprising strength, obviously seeking to hurt him. Ed was panicking.

"Bad boys need to learn their manners! So tell me what your real name is!"

Ed just kept crying and shouting, his behind throbbing more and more with each strike. "HELP! DADDY!" He tried to wriggle loose, but the madwoman was obviously stronger than she looked.

* * *

Roy woke up to find himself alone in his bed. For a moment he panicked, then he looked at the alarm clock. Ed had probably just run out to get the mail. Ed's pyjamas were still lying on the floor after another one of his bad nights.

Then Roy heard it. Screaming. More specifically, Ed screaming for help.

He ran for the front door, panic rising in his entire body. He slammed the door open, finding the source of the noise and felt the anger surge through him. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY SON!?" He strode over to his neighbour's front porch, where she was fucking spanking his son. "HOW DARE YOU LAY A HAND ON HIM?!"

He lifted Ed off her lap, careful of his red bottom. She had obviously hit him quite a few times and there would definitely be a lot of bruising later on. He could also see small cuts. Roy was furious. Absolutely furious. The woman had hurt his son.

"_Why the hell did you think you should spank him?!_" Roy growled, hugging Ed to him. Ed was sobbing and obviously terrified.

"He was lying to me," Gladys answered coldly.

"I wasn't, Daddy! She stole the certificates and said I had to tell her who I was! She grabbed me and then she hit me and it _hurts_!" Ed wailed, clinging to his undershirt. Ed must have been frightened out of his wits.

"He was being a lying little brat who was going to blackmail you with those fake papers of his and I was merely being a good neighbour by teaching him some manners," Gladys said stubbornly.

Roy was doing all he could to stop himself from hitting her. He knew his neighbour had some funny ideas at times, but she was mostly harmless. She did believe that her husband was still alive despite him having been dead for the last five years, but this happened when she had one of her little "episodes" as her smiling daughter used to say every time Roy suggested that she should be put in a home. Said daughter just insisted that she was much happier with living in her home, after all, she had moved in there over fifty years ago. She would simply pine away if she was taken away from the building.

Roy thought it was sentimental bullshit, especially now.

"He wasn't lying. He is my son and those are the official adoption papers!" Roy said through gritted teeth. Ed had been looking forward to this for a week and now his batty old neighbour decided to spank him into a nervous meltdown instead.

"He can't be. He said he used to be the Fullmetal Alchemist. Your subordinate isn't that young."

Roy sighed, wondering how that had even come up. "He used to be until he was kidnapped and experimented on until he was left like he is now. I have officially adopted him and his brother and if you ever call him a liar or touch him again, you will be sorry for it!" And so Roy snatched up the documents and stormed back to his house, Ed still sobbing against his chest. Roy brought him to the bathroom, finding a pack of bandages as well as some antiseptic. He lay Ed over his legs, cleaning his bottom, earning a few sobs.

Damn Gladys for always wearing those rings of hers!

"Ed, it's alright, I won't let her hurt you again. All I'm going to do now is put some bandages on this and then we're going to find you something to cool it down."

"She kept hitting me and I didn't do anything wrong! I thought she was gonna destroy the documents and then she dragged me over!"

Roy stroked Ed's back before he applied the bandages. He had to cover most of his rear and it would probably hurt for him to sit down for the next few days. He lifted Ed up to his chest, kissing his forehead before he carried him downstairs and wrapped an ice pack in a towel and gently held it against Ed's bottom to try and at least lessen the pain and bruising. Ed was sitting on his knees on his lap and was still crying into his shoulder. "Why didn't she believe me?"

"Because, Ed, she isn't entirely there mentally, and sometimes she has bad days and makes the wrong calls. She was wrong to hit you and I swear I won't let her do it again," Roy explained, barely keeping his anger in check.

"She kept saying the documents were fake and that she was teaching me some manners."

"I know, I know. I'm going to talk to her later. She has probably grown up with it being the way things are done. But they aren't that way in this house." Roy kissed Ed's cheek. The boy really was a magnet for bad luck.

* * *

Riza parked the car and carried the groceries inside. She hadn't bothered to wake the boys because she knew that when they slept in so late, it meant that Ed had had another bad night. She wasn't surprised, the whole Tucker thing must have brought up a lot of bad memories.

She found the whole situation with Ed a bit confusing, but she had noticed that she had instinctively grown quite protective of him. She was however, still amused by the way that the Colonel had begun showing his softer side. She knew that it had always been there, and she was one of the few people that had seen it, but now it was there for everybody to see. And she smiled at it, because her boss seemed so infinitely more happy for it. She was happy that he had acted the way he had done and taken the brothers in. She had seen how much he had cared for the boys before all this happened, and she was saddened to see how he didn't see it himself before it was, in a way, too late. But no, he made the best of it and had gained something invaluable in return.

She opened the door, finding it unlocked, which meant that Ed had probably run to fetch the mail. She smiled, thinking that the small, celebratory cake she had bought would probably be well received. Instead, she came into the kitchen to find the Colonel looking murderous, holding what was most likely an ice pack against Ed's bandage-covered rear. Ed was clinging onto his neck.

Riza felt a surge of anger at seeing Ed like that. Someone had obviously hurt him, it was easy to see from the Colonel's face.

"What happened?"

"Gladys decided that Ed was a liar that was going to try to blackmail me with the adoption papers and saw it fit to spank him, still wearing her rings."

Riza had heard a lot about the Colonel's neighbour and her occasional whims, but this was just cruel and the woman had no right to do that. She also knew that once the woman had made up her mind about something, she wasn't going to change her opinion, which meant that she was going to be after Ed from now on.

"She asked me how Daddy found me, and I told her, but she just called me a nasty liar!" Ed sniffled. The Colonel hugged him tighter, kissing his cheek.

"Sir, may I borrow your phone?"

"Of course."

And so Riza went over to the phone and began looking through the little notebook filled with numbers until she came upon the name she was looking for. When the Colonel was angry, his level of detail was sometimes staggering. She dialled the number and waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, is this Annie Johnson?"

"Yes, who am I talking to?" The woman spoke in a simpering, girlish voice and Riza immediately understood why the Colonel hated having to talk to her.

"This is Riza Hawkeye, I'm Colonel Mustang's assistant."

"Oh, is something wrong? He isn't hurt is he?"

"No, in fact, your mother hurt his son."

"But he doesn't have children, does he?"

"He has adopted a couple of brothers, and his five-year-old son was taking in the mail when your mother decided that the adoption papers that arrived today, were fake and that he was going to use them to blackmail the Colonel."

"Oh dear. What did she do?"

"She saw it fit to spank him still wearing her rings."

"Oh, that's not good."

"I know that you are reluctant to put your mother in a home, but she basically tortured the boy. She will most likely not be inclined to believe him and punish him again."

"A little spanking is hardly torture, is it?"

"When the boy in question was found four weeks ago after being kidnapped and experimented on and has nightmares on an almost daily basis, it is. Especially since Ed told your mother so!"

"Oh, dear. I'm very sorry. How is he?"

"He's crying and in pain and this was supposed to be a happy day because of the arrival of the documents. Your mother clearly isn't all there and it would be kinder to her if you just put her in a home."

"But she'll be so sad."

Riza lost her patience.

* * *

Roy sat in the kitchen with Ed still clinging to his neck although the initial shock and fear had worn off. They suddenly heard the fierce roars of Riza Hawkeye echoing through the house and jumped slightly. It lasted for about a minute until there was nothing but silence in the room. Then she returned to the kitchen, looking calm as ever. "Her daughter has kindly agreed that it is in fact time to move Gladys into a home, sir." She moved over to her grocery bags, lifting a box out of one of them, smiling as she walked into Ed's line of vision. "Here Edward, I bought you some cake."


	25. Chapter 25

**So, I don't know when I'll post the next chapter because I'm going to have jaw surgery tomorrow and don't know how much writing I will get done over the next few days or when I will get out of the hospital. I'll try updating as quick as I can, but there won't be a new chapter tomorrow at least.**

**I'll see you people in a few days!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-five**

Maes swore and put down the phone. Havoc had just informed him that it seemed like Scar had broken into the hospital and killed Shou Tucker as well as three MPs. As if it wasn't bad enough for Nina that her Daddy was a murderer and a monster, he was also dead now. Maes had instantly taken to Nina and he felt bad as hell for the kid. Al was reading to her at the moment and she was using Alexander as a pillow.

Maes had of course taken a few pictures of this adorable little scene before he left the outer office to take the phone.

The office door opened and in came Roy while carrying Ed a little oddly. He seemed not to want to come in contact with his behind. Maes went over to them. "What's wrong?"

"Gladys spanked me," Ed said, looking downwards a little shamefully.

"Ed, I told you, it's nothing to be ashamed of. That woman hit you while seeking to hurt you for something you didn't do. She's at fault," Roy said, looking down at Ed with stern warmth.

Maes had of course heard about the wretched woman with the ghastly rings, and if she was still wearing them when she hit Ed, then it would explain Ed's anxiousness. Maes didn't usually get angry, but when people hurt kids, he most certainly did. And with Ed even more so because what he had already been through.

Roy sat down on the couch and Maes joined him. He figured that he should probably tell the truth and Ed wouldn't really be too broken up about it, would he? Maes sighed and leaned forwards while Roy managed to place Ed on his lap without his sore bottom touching his thighs as he leaned into Roy's chest.

"Listen, Roy. I just got a call from Havoc. Scar broke into the hospital and killed Shou Tucker."

Roy looked like he was about to swear, but thought better of it because of Ed.

"He killed him?" Ed asked, eyes wide. "But if Scar is here then he could come after Daddy next!"

Ah, shit. Maes hadn't thought about that. Ed knew who that was after meeting him in Central. He couldn't exactly warn Roy either because that would just worry Ed even more.

Ed was clinging to Roy's uniform, looking frightened. Roy just leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Ed, nothing's going to happen to me."

"But Daddy! Your alchemy doesn't work in the rain!"

Maes couldn't help the slight smile at Roy's face at the reminder of flame alchemy's fatal flaw. The man looked slightly crushed that his son didn't believe that he had special super powers but was in fact mortal. Well, that's what you get when you adopt a genius.

Roy seemed to collect himself. "Maybe not, but I've still got a gun, and I've got Lieutenant Hawkeye looking out for me."

"But still, Daddy! He nearly killed you back in Central!"

Maes smiled sadly. This was why he never brought his work back home. If Elicia knew about how much danger that was involved in his work, then she'd probably be just as frightened that her Daddy wouldn't come home as Ed was. So even though Maes usually just had lots of paperwork, he was also called out on dangerous missions from time to time. He really felt bad for Ed that he couldn't take part in that innocence. Ed would probably have to worry about Roy until the day the man retired.

"Ed, it's okay. Roy's managed to keep himself healthy and safe up till now, that's got to count for something, right?" Maes offered as Ed clung to Roy with scared tears in his eyes.

"But what if something happens? If I hadn't jumped on Scar back in Central, then he would have killed Daddy! What if nobody is there to save him next time?! I don't wanna lose him!"

Ed began crying and Maes watched as Roy hugged him tightly, trying to soothe him.

Taking in the scene, Maes really hoped that Elicia would never have to learn just how dangerous his job was.

* * *

Roy really didn't know what to say. He had never had this kind of responsibility before. Yes, he was going to stay alive in order to become Führer, and he would never die on Ed and Al. But still, he had never had the **responsibility** not to die. He could die the most heroic death possible, but if he left Ed and Al without a father, he would never forgive himself. Not after promising to take care of them. Not after giving them a home.

And it terrified him. It was a very new kind of pressure on him.

And it left him so sad that Ed was going to grow up afraid of losing his dad. That his youngest son would be scared that his father may die each time he went into the office.

But at the same time, maybe it wouldn't be like that? Maybe Roy would be assigned to look after his boys for the next ten years? Maybe longer? Fullmetal had pissed off a lot of crooks after all. And so had Roy. The chances of someone trying to attack his kids was pretty high considering. Ed was an easy target. Maybe he wouldn't be allowed to go to school because of this? Maybe he would have to follow Roy to work every morning and just work with textbooks on a desk beside his? And what about Al? What if they found a way to get his body back and he decided to go off exploring the world when he turned eighteen? Roy had no way to stop him if he did, although he sincerely hoped that Al would stay at home with him and Ed.

Ed kept crying into Roy's chest and he understood why. Ed was afraid of losing another parent, yet he knew that he couldn't just ask Roy to quit the military. He couldn't ask that they'd leave. He needed Al to get his body back and he wanted Roy to finish his goal. And so Roy just held him, stroking his cheek and letting him cry. Ed was allowed to be afraid and confused and Roy couldn't shield him from everything, especially when it was so close to him. But he would damn well hold him and carry him through the pain. That was Roy's job as a father. Roy was going to let Ed be a kid this time around and save him from having to carry everything on his own.

He could, however, distract him so that he wasn't afraid all the time.

"Hey, Ed? Would you like to talk to your new grandmother?"

Ed froze, looking up at him with teary eyes. "Your aunt? The one who adopted you?"

Roy smiled, happy to see that the offer was obviously intriguing to him. "That's the one."

"Okay."

Roy stood up and carried Ed over to the desk, sitting down with Ed, still careful of his bottom. He picked up the phone and dialled the number.

His adoptive mother used to tease him with that he should stop dreaming about her girls and just settle down with someone before it was too late. Ed rubbed the tears out of his eyes as the phone rang, until someone suddenly picked it up.

"Madame Christmas."

"Hello, Madame, it's Roy."

"What's the occasion? You only call once in a blue moon." She wasn't annoyed, she was just joking with him in her usual way.

"I have someone here who would like to have a word with you."

"Oh? And who's that?"

"Well, it's really your choice whether he's your great nephew or your grandson, although he certainly seems to like grandson better."

There was silence at the other end. "Don't tell me that you got someone pregnant?" She still spoke as monotonously as she always did.

Roy was kind of offended, but he could see her point with his usual lifestyle. "No. In fact we got the adoption certificate today."

"And the name change one too!" Ed added loudly enough for the Madame to hear.

"Was that him?"

"Yes. His name is, as of today, Edward Elric-Mustang."

"So that's what you did with the boy, huh? I heard about what happened to him."

"Nothing really gets past you, does it? Well, I did of course adopt his brother too, so it's Edward Elric-Mustang and Alphonse Elric, ages five and fourteen."

"Daddy? Can I talk to her now?" Ed asked, obviously getting tired of only listening to the conversation instead of actually talking to what had to be a fascinating woman.

Roy heard a slight chuckle. "I hear that he isn't patient. Put him on."

Roy handed the phone to Ed who took it with an interesting mixture of eagerness and caution. "Hello. This is Ed speaking."

"Hello, Ed, this is Chris Mustang, or Madame Christmas to most people, but you can call me whatever you like." Roy had to strain himself slightly to be able to listen, but he heard it once he rested his head on top of Ed's, and Ed didn't seem to mind. Roy was a bit nervous about this, after all. His adoptive mother usually scared people off, especially small children. Which meant that she would probably dote on Ed and Al.

"Thanks. So … how are you doing?"

"I'm doing very well. Business is going very good."

"You're Daddy's Mom, but also his Auntie. What's that like?"

"Well … Roy is a good kid, although he could phone a bit more often."

"You still think he's a kid? But he's – how old are you, Daddy?" Ed looked up at him with confusion, realising that he actually didn't know how old his father was.

"I'm twenty-nine, Ed," Roy said kindly.

"If he's twenty-nine, then he's not a kid anymore. Is he?" Ed sounded a bit unsure.

"Well, he's still a kid if you ask me. After all, he's been my kid since I adopted him."

"Oh, I didn't think about that! But I guess you're right." Ed studied Roy's face for a few seconds before he put his hand on Roy's cheek. "But it's still weird that Daddy's been small."

"Tell you what, Ed. If you three come visiting, then I'll show you some pictures of Roy when he was your age, I've got them around here somewhere."

"Then it will be the four of us. Auntie Riza is with us too. Daddy and her are our bodyguards."

"Your bodyguards you say?"

"Yes. Apparently I used to be really annoying and put many people behind bars and some of them would probably like to attack me. Besides, we still don't know where Lillian went. Daddy thought we should come visit you when we're done here in East City."

"I'd like that very much, Ed. Just tell your Dad to phone me before you come, and I can make some room for you."

"It's not Dad, it's Daddy."

"Is it very important to you?"

Ed was frowning. "Yes. Because the man I knew as Dad left us and made Mom cry. Daddy isn't like that."

"I see. Well, it was nice talking to you, Ed, but I need to sign for a delivery, so I have to hang up now. I look forward to seeing you and your brother."

"See yah, Grandma!"

The phone was hung up and Ed was grinning at Roy. "She sounds really grumpy, but she isn't."

Roy smiled back at Ed. He had been right about his feeling that his adoptive mother would have a sweet spot for these kids of his. After all, who couldn't like Ed and Al?

_**Their father, apparently.**_

_Well, if I ever meet that bastard, I'll make sure to hit him._


	26. Chapter 26

**So I'm back from the hospital and the surgery went well, although my face is so swollen I look like a hamster and will do so for a few weeks. user needs a username, you were very right, jaw surgery sucks.**

**Which is why I would just like to give a small warning that if anything seems amiss with this chapter, it's probably the painkillers and lack of sleep...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-six**

The door was opened slowly by Hawkeye as she let the two Curtises inside the office. Roy was standing there with Ed on his arm and Al was standing beside him, holding Nina's hand. Nina was scratching Alexander behind the ear, looking slightly worried and a bit confused. She had merely been informed that the Curtises were friends of theirs that were visiting. Ed immediately began waving at the Curtises, they had been rather soft on him the week they were visiting. "Hi, Izumi! Hi, Sig!"

In response, the Curtises came over to him, and after checking that it was alright with Ed, hugged him both in turn. Sig then proceeded to pat Al's head while Izumi patted his shoulder, this time not flipping him over on his back and then they both kneeled down in front of Nina and Alexander. Alexander seemed to instantly recognise a fellow giant softie, and licked Sig's face, making Nina laugh and relax a bit more. Sig scratched Alexander behind the ear and then the dog lay down between the Curtises and Nina, asking to be cuddled with. The three of them chuckled over the furry icebreaker and then Izumi spoke. "Hello, Nina. I'm Izumi Curtis, and this is my husband, Sig. I see you too have found yourself a big, strong man to look after you, what's his name?"

Nina smiled and hugged the dog. "It's Alexander. We've had him as long as I can remember."

"That must be very nice. I can see that he loves you very much."

"He's my best friend in the whole world!"

Roy was just glad to see that the Curtises didn't seem to mind Alexander. It would make things a lot easier.

Ed was shifting slightly in Roy's arms, obviously uncomfortable. His behind had got a lot of bruising and scabs, so Roy was still holding him a bit awkwardly, but he didn't think that that was the matter.

"Daddy? I need to pee," Ed said, looking up at Roy, it was obviously a quite urgent matter.

"I'm just going to take Ed to the toilets, we'll be back soon," Roy told the others before they left. Ed kept shifting a bit as Roy carried him, waving people off when they asked if something was wrong and merely explained it with "toilet break," watching the instant comprehension in their faces with a slight smile.

They found their way through the corridors until they reached the toilets and Roy put Ed down and the boy instantly rushed over to the nearest stall and stayed there for about a minute before he came back out, lifting his hands in the air, ready for the next post on the programme. Roy lifted him up to the soap dispenser and then held him in front of the sink to wash his hands. With that done, Roy decided that it wouldn't be such a bad idea if he relieved himself too, so he put Ed back down on the ground. Ed looked slightly confused. "Daddy has to use the toilet too, Ed."

Ed nodded and smiled, and Roy was done washing his hands a minute later. Ed lifted his hands in the air, ready to be carried, and Roy picked him up with a smile. Roy thought that it was actually a good idea that the Curtises got to speak with Nina alone, while still having Alphonse there seeing as how he knew both Nina and the Curtises and made the situation easier for both parties. And so they entered the outer office and stayed there, which was actually rather nice.

He would never have chosen any differently from what he had, but it was still good to be around his old team and check on how they were doing. Besides, they seemed very keen on making sure that Ed was okay. It was still pretty apparent that they were horrified about what had happened to him and that they missed Fullmetal a lot.

What Roy wasn't expecting was that the door would open and that Major Armstrong would stand there, tears in his eyes, sparkles about his head and a bouquet of roses in his hand. "I JUST HEARD ABOUT THE ADOPTION! LET ME PARTAKE IN YOUR JOY OF PARENTHOOD AND OFFER YOU THIS GIFT! HOW AWE-INSPIRING THAT YOU HAVE WILLINGLY CHOSEN TO BE EDWARD AND ALPHONSE'S FATHER! THE SACRIFICE! THE BRAVENESS! THE LOVE!"

And so Roy found himself being embraced by a bare-chested Major Armstrong with a yelping Ed in his arms before he was handed a bouquet of about thirty or more red roses. Roy turned around to the rest of the team, blushing slightly, watching as Havoc and Breda smirked and Falman's mouth twitched slightly. Hawkeye joined them thankfully and took the flowers from him, allowing him to keep a much steadier grip on his boy.

Armstrong was still crying as he addressed Ed. "You must be truly proud of your father. He is a great man."

Ed still seemed frightened, but he never seemed to want to miss a chance at confirming how great Roy was. Probably because the two people who had called themselves his father before weren't really up to scratch. "Daddy's the greatest Daddy in the world! He's really kind and he always listens and he is a great alchemist and teacher!" Ed said with eager pride. Roy just kissed his cheek in thanks.

"Oh, how wonderful it is to see such fatherly love. You truly deserve the very best, Edward Elric!"

"It's Elric-Mustang. With a hyphen."

And so they found themselves being swept into another tight embrace.

"I can't breathe!" came a muffled voice from Roy's chest and so Roy gently convinced the Major to let them go.

Roy sat down on Havoc's desk with a sigh as Armstrong declared that he must get on with his paperwork. Ed just stood up on the desk, his left hand on Roy's shoulder, eyeing Havoc's paperwork interestedly. "No, Jean, "prosperous" is written with with an "ous", not "us" at the end."

Roy couldn't help but laugh at Havoc's incredulous look. "You're reading my handwriting upside down?"

Ed looked slightly unsure. "Is there something wrong about that?"

Then Havoc began laughing. "No, Chief, it just means that you're even more of a genius than I thought you were."

"Oh. Thanks."

Havoc ruffled his hair, grinning. Ed looked slightly unsure whether he was being patronised or not. Roy just put his arm around his waist and pulled him over to his chest, hugging him. Ed instantly hugged him back, his cheek pressed against his. The boy was always so warm and soft, it was quite marvellous. Roy didn't really think that he would ever get tired of hugging Ed and Ed seemed to be the same with him. It was just so warm and it reminded Roy that Ed was _his_ son and nobody else's. And so each hug was a reminder of how much he loved Ed and Ed loved him.

Roy didn't even bother looking up as he heard the click of the camera. Hughes had practically been bombarding them with it these last few days. Even Ed didn't seem to mind anymore.

"Aww, Roy! It's so _cute!_" Hughes exclaimed as he walked over to them and Ed turned around to face him. Hughes leaned on the desk next to them. "So why are you still out here? Shouldn't you be inside?" He gestured his head towards the inner office.

"I figured Nina would have a better chance of getting to know the Curtises if we didn't go back inside."

Maes gave him a knowing look.

"Maes?" Ed asked cautiously.

"Yes, Ed?" Maes spoke softly and instantly in his father-y tone.

"Would it be alright for me to call you Uncle?"

Roy was pretty sure the man was about to have a fit. Maes threw his hands into the air and then pulled Ed in for a hug, swinging him around. "OF COURSE YOU CAN! HOW ADORABLE! QUICKLY! SOMEONE TAKE A PICTURE!"

That "someone" turned out to be Fuery, and so he was forced to take multiple pictures of Ed together with Roy and Maes.

And so Roy spent the next few hours teaching Ed some more alchemy. Ed impressed everyone which made the boy grin widely at all the compliments he was getting, until the office door was opened and the Izumi came walking out of the inner office, face unreadable. She walked over to Roy, her arms crossed. "Colonel Mustang, we have decided to adopt Nina and her dog. How long until the paperwork will be in order?"

"The Führer has already sent the necessary documents, you and your husband just need to sign them."

"Very well."

* * *

It was a few days later that Roy, Ed, Al and Hawkeye waved goodbye to the now four Curtises at the train station in Central. Madame Christmas had closed her bar for a week in honour of them and they would be staying with her for the duration of their visit.

All in all, Roy was happy. Things had turned out like they should, Ed and Al were happy, Nina had a home ... Yes, things were good.

Except for the tall blonde staring straight at them with a shocked look. Ed and Al were gasping, then the man slowly walked over to them, a look of incredulousness on his face. The man had glasses, blonde hair in a ponytail, a beard and a brown coat, looking perfectly normal. But he was walking determinedly in their direction. Hawkeye pulled out her gun, but Al actually motioned for her to put it away.

Ed was staring as the man stopped in front of them, looking curiously at Ed, apparently lost for words.

Then Ed released his hold on Roy's hand and stomped forwards, kicking the man's shin repeatedly, shouting loudly. "YOU BASTARD! YOU BASTARD! YOU BASTARD!"

The man didn't move, still not saying anything, and Roy picked Ed up. Ed was crying and kicking and screaming. "NO! LET ME TAKE HIM! THAT BASTARD LEFT MOM TO DIE! IT'S HIS FAULT! ALL OF IT!"

Then it clicked. This man must be Hohenheim.

Roy didn't think. He held Ed with his left arm.

Then he punched the stranger straight in the face.


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello again! Sorry about the uneven update schedule, but I'm still recovering from my surgery.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-seven**

"Sir!" Hawkeye exclaimed as Hohenheim fell to the ground, still looking confused.

"Dad!" Al exclaimed, although Roy wasn't really sure which one he was referring to.

Hohenheim sat up, holding his cheek, confusion tripled. He was looking straight at Ed. "Edward? What happened to you? Last I heard you were a State Alchemist."

Roy was still seething with anger. If this really was the man that had left those wonderful boys of his twelve years ago, then he had some explaining to do. "Why the hell did you leave them?"

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Hohenheim asked.

"I'm their legal father."

The man froze.

"What about Trisha?"

"Mom's dead and has been so for ten years!" Ed yelled. Roy was pretty sure that if he hadn't been restraining him, Ed would be pouncing on Hohenheim with no regrets.

Then the man looked away and Roy saw tears streaming down his cheek.

Al had just frozen.

Hohenheim stood up, brushing off his clothes and wiping his cheeks. "How did she die?"

"She got sick," Al said, gaining Hohenheim's attention for the first time.

"Who are you in the armour?"

"It's Alphonse."

"Well, you certainly got big. What happened to Edward?"

"For your information, your son was kidnapped a few weeks ago and experimented on and tortured until he was left as his five-year-old self." Roy couldn't keep away the venom in his voice as he said it. This man had chosen to abandon his sons, not even returning for their mother's funeral. And here he was, asking them to explain what had happened to his sons after he left their lives?

Hohenheim's face hardened. "I see. I'm sorry to hear that, Edward."

"AS IF YOU CARE! YOU LEFT US! YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A BASTARD! YOU WERE NEVER A REAL FATHER!" And so Ed struggled out of Roy's grip and ran away in between the legs of the busy crowd inside the train station.

Roy panicked.

He ran shouting through the hordes of people, uncomfortably reminded of how Ed had run of the day they found him. What if the boy ran into trouble? What if he fell and hurt himself? What if he wandered into the road? Roy knew that Ed was a smart kid, but something could still happen. Roy heard a lot of shouts from Alphonse and Hawkeye too, all of them were searching for Ed. After an hour of steadily increasing dread and panic, Roy heard a series of small sobs from behind a large row of trolleys. Roy immediately went over to the source of the sound and found Ed curled up on his side, his hands covering his ears, sobbing. The relief Roy felt was indescribable. He sat himself down beside the sobbing form and gently began stroking his back. Ed yelped, but then he looked up at him and the next second, Ed had thrown himself around Roy's waist and was sobbing into his lap. Roy just put his arms around him, pulling him up to his chest and kissed his forehead.

"Edward, you can't run off like that. You could get hurt," Roy said softly.

"I'm sorry, Daddy! I just didn't wanna look at him anymore, but then I couldn't find you and people were pushing me all over and I just had to get away! I'm sorry I made you worry."

"Sh-sh-sh, it's okay. Just don't run off like that where I can't find you, okay?" Roy could understand how Ed had reacted by fleeing. He would probably have done the same if it had been him. Meeting his father like that after all this time must be really upsetting.

Hell, Roy had hit the guy just from learning his identity.

"Why did he have to be here?!" Ed cried.

"It's just bad luck, Ed."

"He hadn't even bothered to make sure that Mom was alive!"

Roy just stroked his back slowly, still taking in the relief of finding Ed safe. He listened to Ed's complaints and outrage, letting the boy just empty himself of all his pent-up anger and frustration. He let him express his anger and hurt until he had sobbed himself dry and Roy finally stood up and carried Ed out into the crowd again. Hohenheim was nowhere to be seen.

He found Alphonse and Hawkeye quickly enough, and the four of them were soon out of the train station and walking in the direction of Madame Christmas's bar. They came upon the familiar building after a thirty-minute walk and besides the odd look that Roy got from a passing stranger as he entered the building with a five-year-old holding his hand, it went pretty smoothly. Roy opened the door and was quickly embraced by one of the girls working there. "Hi, Roy!" Vanessa said, smiling widely.

Roy was suddenly in a rather uncomfortable situation, seeing as how he now had his two sons staring at him in shock. Which meant that he couldn't just greet the girl as usual. Thankfully, the solution came as she then stooped down and pinched Ed's cheek. "And you must be Edward!"

Ed glared at her, shoving at her hand. "Don't."

Roy heard his adoptive mother laughing as she came into the room. "I see your boy is a lot more immune to my girls's charm than you are, Roy."

* * *

Ed looked up at the woman. She didn't really look too pleasant. But she was smiling at him, so Ed waved at her, having recognised her voice from the phone. "Hi, Grandma!"

"Hello, Edward." She turned towards Al. "Which I guess makes you Alphonse. Good to meet you two."

"It's very nice to meet you," Al said.

Daddy had warned them that Grandma could seem a bit scary, but that she was kind all the same. Ed could understand why, she looked a lot like she could be some sort of criminal, and she sounded it too. She did, however, seem like she was really sharp and that she would be hard to fool. Ed went over to her and shook her hand, followed by Alphonse doing the same.

Ed looked up at the cheek-pincher. "Who are you?"

"This is Vanessa, she's one of the girls who work for me. I asked her to stay here to help out making the place ready for you four. She was just about to leave," Grandma informed them.

"See you later, Roy!" Vanessa said, smiling widely as she left. Ed was just confused. If she wasn't working that night, why was she flirting with Daddy?

"Well, I suppose you should take your luggage to your rooms," Grandma said.

Daddy nodded and Ed followed him up two flights of stairs. Daddy was carrying both their suitcases. Ed was interested to see how things were looking here. It was pretty exciting for him to get to know a new home that sort of belonged to him now. It did when she was his Grandma after all. "We'll be staying in the room that I had when I grew up, Ed," Daddy said, leading him down a hall and over to a door that had three multi-coloured letters glued to it, spelling out "ROY". Daddy sighed upon seeing them. "She still hasn't removed them, no matter how many times I tell her to." He had a slight smile on his lips as he opened the door.

The room had dark red paint and a few bookshelves. There was a diploma from Daddy's graduation from the military academy and a few pictures of open landscapes with sheep. They reminded Ed of Resembool. He walked over to the bookshelves as Daddy hung their clothes in the wardrobe and picked some of them out. Many of them were children's books that were easily read. Ed found it fascinating to walk inside this room, it was proof that Daddy had once been a kid after all. Ed opened a drawer and found a photo album. He picked it up, sitting down on the large bed and opened it on his lap. There were a lot of pictures of a baby with black hair and onyx eyes. Ed's eyes grew wide. His eyes fell upon a picture with him feeding a dog, smiling. "Daddy! You were actually a sweet child!"

Ed looked up at him, finding Daddy looking both amused and embarrassed, judging by his red cheeks. "So you found one of the old albums?" Daddy sat down beside him and lifted Ed up on his lap. They looked through the pictures, Ed laughing at quite a few of them. It just showed a side of Daddy that Ed hadn't seen before. "I really like this one," Ed said, pointing. Daddy was just a bit older than he was, and they were obviously on a beach. Daddy was standing with the water reaching his waist, smiling widely while he held up a shell.

"Ah, I remember this. I had been helping out with the housework a lot so I got that trip as a reward. I was about seven, I think."

"That's so cool! Do you think we could do something like that?"

"Of course. We could do so this week if you want."

Ed felt a bubble of glee burst in his chest. "Can we?!"

"Yes. We'll have to buy some gear and swimwear of course, but I think it would be fun. We're taking a break this week after all. We could even make a fire and grill sausages if you want."

Ed put down the album and twisted around before he hugged Daddy. "Yay! Will you teach me how to swim?"

"Of course." Daddy was hugging him back.

This was going to be great! Hohenheim had never taken them to a beach which just showed how Daddy was Ed's proper Daddy.

* * *

Roy sat there, hugging Ed to him. Looking through those photos had been odd for him. He hadn't looked at them in years, but it was sort of nice. And going to the beach would be really fun. It was a proper family thing to do. He just hoped that Al would enjoy it too. Well, they would of course go to the beach when he had his body back too.

It was an odd thing, looking forward to doing family stuff. He hadn't done that in years. And never as a father. It would be nice. And judging by Ed's reaction, definitely worth it. Maybe they could go in two days? They could go shopping tomorrow. The weather was supposed to be nice.

And once again Roy was reminded of how much his life had changed. Tomorrow he would be out shopping for swimming trunks for his son. How odd, really.

He bent down and kissed Ed's head.

There were three knocks on the door and Hawkeye spoke. "Sir? The dinner is ready."

"Thank you, Lieutenant, we'll be right there."

Ed didn't seem to want to leave the hug, so Roy just carried him downstairs and into the living room, sitting down at the table. Ed would usually sit next to him while they ate, but Roy assumed that it had something to do with meeting Hohenheim earlier today. And so Roy just sat there, Ed on his lap, doing his best to avoid sauce dripping down on Ed's head as they ate.

The Madame looked curiously over at Al who of course wasn't eating, but she didn't say anything. Roy did have a feeling that she was going to corner him later to make him explain. Roy was just thankful that she wasn't asking any questions right now. Al had given him the all clear to explain about his body, but it would make the conversation slightly awkward.

And so the evening passed quite nicely. The beach idea was received well and they agreed that they would go shopping tomorrow. Roy did manage to drop a spoonful of ice cream with chocolate sauce straight onto Ed's head, which made the boy laugh heartily as Roy tried to remove as much as he could with a napkin.

And so it was straight to the bathroom and soon Roy was sitting there, gently trying to get the ice cream out of Ed's hair, Ed still bursting into giggles at times because "Daddy lost his ice cream!" Roy couldn't help but laugh too though.

And so, after helping Ed with brushing his teeth and getting him into his pyjamas, Roy carried him out of the bathroom. He ran into his adoptive mother in the hallway.

"Roy, about Alphonse, why doesn't he eat?"

"He doesn't have a body," Ed said sleepily before he yawned and snuggled his head further into Roy's chest.

"Ed and Al tried bringing back their mother four years ago. The transmutation failed and Ed lost his leg and Al lost his entire body. Ed paid with his right arm in order to bring Al back and bound his soul to that suit of armour. We're looking for a way to get Al back to normal, which is why I couldn't explain this over the phone." Roy explained it with the facts as they were, his adoptive mother would just pick out the details anyway.

"I see. Well, Roy, I'm happy you took those boys in, they deserve a break after what they've been through." She patted Ed's head twice.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night, Roy."


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-eight**

Roy had never before realised how much work went into preparing for a trip to the beach. He had bought all kinds of sunscreen, aftersun, swimwear, food, drinks, a cooler, flip flops, sunglasses, towels, a first aid kit, plastic bucket and mini-shovel and an inflatable violently green turtle that Ed had named Robert.

And so Roy was suddenly sitting slightly squashed in Madame Christmas's car with a thoroughly excited Ed on his lap and Al beside him. Hawkeye was driving, joined by the Madame in the passenger seat. The trunk was stuffed and Robert had been shoved in a deflated state inside Al's armour in order to save space. The giant turtle was a metre in diameter after all. Roy was honestly starting to wonder if he was spoiling Ed by buying it, but Ed's eyes had grown so wide when he saw it in the store. The boy hadn't even asked if he could have it, Roy had just seen the agonising longing. Plus, it was so large that Ed would be able to use it for a few years. So Roy had picked up the cardboard box and had had Ed hugging him almost nonstop ever since.

Roy was wearing shorts for the first time since he joined the military and felt odd. He was actually doing a proper Dad thing with Dad clothes and Dad gear. He had promised Ed and Al that they were going to go fishing soon too. But it was good that they could do something like this after the rush of the last few weeks.

They reached the beach after about thirty minutes and it was thankfully empty due to it being in the middle of the school week. Ed practically jumped out of the car and was shedding his layers of clothes except for his flip flops and red swimming trunks with a "WHEEE!" before the rest of them were really sure what had just happened. Roy set off after him, not able to hold back his smile. Soon the flip flops were being kicked off too and Ed was standing with water up to his knees, holding his arms around him as an indicator of the temperature. Ed then stooped down and picked up a small conch. "Daddy! Look!"

Roy shed his own shorts and T-shirt, but folded them neatly before he put them on the ground. He was left standing there in his dark blue swimming trunks as he removed his own flip flops before he went over to the water and walked over to Ed. The water was in fact a bit cold, but it would turn pleasant soon enough. Ed handed him the conch and Roy studied it. "That's a really nice one, Ed. How about we take it home with us?"

"Can we?" Ed was grinning widely.

"Sure." Roy put it in his pocket. Ed took his hand and began leading him out into the water until it reached Ed's waist, which meant that it went up to Roy's thighs. Ed was smiling, pointing at different shells and plants and a few small fish as well. Then Ed suddenly bent his knees and swiftly ducked under the water before he stood up again, wiping water out if his face. "Your turn, Daddy!"

Roy wasn't quite ready for the whole ducking thing, he still felt that the water was cold enough already, but he wasn't going to let himself be beaten by a five-year-old, and so Roy decided to do a sort of compromise and took a couple of swimming strokes before he sat down in the water, trying to keep himself from showing any signs of cold. Next second, Ed had jumped at him and Roy tipped backwards, finding himself desperately trying to keep Ed above water while also finding his own way back above the surface. He managed both somehow and was soon sitting with a laughing Ed hugging him tightly. "Now you're all wet too!"

Roy was about to tell him that that had been dangerous, but instead he was laughing along with him.

"Dad! Don't you need sunscreen?!" Al shouted. Him and the ladies were standing on the beach, the Madame wearing a dress and a sun hat, Hawkeye wearing a black swimsuit with a blue towel tied around her waist.

"Thanks, Al! We'll be right there!" Roy said. He looked at Ed, stroking his soaked fringe away from his eye. "You heard him: sunscreen."

Ed nodded and stood back a bit, allowing Roy to stand up himself. Ed lifted his arms in the air and Roy picked him up, carrying him back to the others where Hawkeye greeted them by handing them a towel each. Al was busy drawing a transmutation circle in order to inflate Robert. Roy put Ed down and Hawkeye began drying him off while Roy dried himself. He then helped Ed with the sunscreen before Ed helped him cover his own back. Roy was left applying the rest of the sunscreen as Ed ran over to Al to collect Robert. The two brothers were soon out in the water, Al was obviously being careful about the depth because of his blood seal. Ed was lying on top of Robert, holding onto the handles as Al made it spin around. Roy smiled.

"Here, sir," Hawkeye said beside him, handing him a camera. Roy had bought it yesterday and picked it up before he took a couple of pictures.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Are you all set up or do you want me to help with something?"

"We are as good as done, you just go and play with your sons."

Roy gave her a brief smile before he handed the camera back to her and went back into the water.

They had a lot of fun playing in the water, and Roy was sorely tempted to try Robert himself, but realised that Hawkeye and Madame Christmas had his camera, meaning that there was a very real possibility that he'd be photographed playing with an inflatable turtle and he wasn't quite sure that his pride could handle that.

When they were done bathing, they went back to the ladies, finding them stretched out on their towels with a book each. Roy threw a towel around Ed before pulling one around himself too, sitting down at a third already laid out for them, next to their folded up clothes and flip flops.

Bless that Lieutenant of his.

Ed sat down in front of him, leaning his back against Roy's chest as Roy dried him off while hugging him.

* * *

Ed sunk into Daddy's warm arms, smiling contentedly. This day had been so fun so far. And Ed had learnt to swim and to float on his back, which was great. Ed rubbed his eyes with his towel, getting a bit sleepy. Auntie Riza handed him a juice box as if she could read his thoughts of thirstiness. Auntie Riza was funny that way. She often seemed like she could read Daddy's mind, handing him things without him asking for it and she had recently begun doing the same with Ed. Maybe it was some kind of special ability of hers.

Al was drying himself off with a towel to make sure that he didn't rust. Ed still wasn't quite used to how things had changed between them. He loved his brother, but Al was still supposed to be his little brother, but he sort of wasn't. Al was nine years older than him, had seen so much more pain, had seen so much of Ed's pain, yet Ed didn't share those experiences anymore. Al had watched him grow up once already and was still reminded of the old Ed. As was Daddy and everyone else. Ed didn't like that sadness, it made him feel awkward and it made him feel like he wasn't really there. Like he was a kind of echo of a distant past.

Like he was a fake.

Daddy had told him that he was as real as anything else and Ed believed him. It was just that it still felt odd knowing that these people knew him as somebody else. Because Ed felt separated from the old him. They weren't the same person, not really, right? The old Ed hadn't had Daddy and had seen Mom die and was responsible for raising Al, but Ed wasn't.

It was still so confusing. Ed knew that all these people loved him and cared about him, but they also loved and cared about the old Ed and it made Ed afraid of disappointing them if he grew up differently. And honestly, Ed often felt like there was a kind of wrongness about his whole existence. He was never supposed to be like this. He was never supposed to have Daddy.

Was he even supposed to be happy?

And if he wasn't supposed to be happy, did that mean that everything would just be taken from him at some point? Was he going to lose everyone?

Or were those ten years the price for his happiness? Was that an Equivalent Exchange?

It just wasn't fair. Not to Al. Not to anyone.

The strong arms squeezed him and brought him back to the present. "Hey, Ed, is everything alright?"

"I just want people to be happy, Daddy."

Daddy turned him around and hugged him tightly. Ed placed his arms around his waist, hugging him back. "We all do, Ed. That's why we're going to grill ourselves some sausages."

Ed laughed. "You're silly, Daddy!"

"But don't you let anyone know, it's our secret," Daddy whispered, but Ed could hear the grin in his voice.

Ed laughed. Then he grinned evilly, realising that if Daddy could be silly, then Ed could be too. And so Ed began tickling his sides, chanting "Ticklemonster Jr.! Ticklemonster Jr.!" Daddy fell backwards, laughing his head off and Ed was giggling too.

* * *

Once Ed stopped and Roy was able to catch his breath, he just lay back in the sand, panting. Ed was snuggled up against his side, still giggling. Roy knew that he didn't make a lot of masculine noises while he was being tickled. Suddenly Hawkeye was standing just behind his head, looking down at him and she was actually smirking.

"Not a word, Lieutenant."

"Of course, sir."

Roy was getting slightly nervous as she kept standing there, still smirking. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's just nice to know that I have a new way to make sure you do your paperwork, sir."

* * *

**Oh, and I would just like to say that I had a Robert myself, although his diameter was 1,5 metres, and he was absolutely brilliant. **


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter twenty-nine**

Roy was lying in bed, reading to Ed from "_An Advanced Guide to the Elements"_. It was one of the books he had inherited from Berthold Hawkeye when he died. Roy had brought it with him for a visit here a few years ago and had forgotten it in the drawer in his room. Ed had found it as he was exploring the room and requested that Roy read it to him as a bedtime story.

Roy had said yes, seeing as how it really was the only book that was sort of suited for Ed. Roy had a lot of fiction books from his teenage years, but they were spy books and similar so they weren't for Ed quite yet.

And so Roy sat there with the thick, leather-bound tome open on his lap, Ed leaning into his side while sometimes discussing the illustrations with him. There were a couple of knocks on the door and Madame Christmas opened it. "Maes Hughes is on the phone, he wants a word with you, Roy."

Roy kissed the top of Ed's head. "I'll be right back."

"Say hello to Uncle Maes for me."

Roy slid out from under the covers and went out into the hallway downstairs before he picked up the phone. "Hey, Maes, I really hope this isn't another bragging call about your daughter."

"Oh, Roy, how can you say that?! Now that you're a father yourself!"

"Yes, and my son is waiting for me to go back to reading to him."

"Oh, how cute!"

"Maes, get to the point or I'm hanging up."

"Fine, you spoil-sport. I'm just calling to say that it seems like Scar won't be a problem anymore. He was in some kind of major fight here in East and is presumed dead, so Ed doesn't have to worry so much anymore. He's at the very least heavily injured and won't be able to come after you for some time. Anyway, we're heading back to Central tomorrow. I'm taking your old team with me, we're understaffed in Investigations and they're good people that I can trust."

Roy knew that Maes would have had to pull a lot of strings to make that happen, and would be eternally grateful for it. "Thank you, Maes. Have a pleasant trip."

"Good night, Roy."

"Good night." Roy was about to put the receiver down when he remembered Ed's wish. "Oh, and Maes!"

"Yes?"

"Ed told me to say hello."

"Awww! Well tell him that Uncle Maes says hello back. And give him a good hug from me and say that I've bought him a present for the next time I see him!" Maes almost sounded as bad as he did when he talked about Elicia. But at the same time, when Ed was choosing his aunts and uncles, Roy thought he was doing a damned good job and some solid choices.

"I will. Thanks. See you soon."

"See ya, Roy!"

And so Roy hung it up.

He returned to his bedroom, finding Ed sitting on the floor, looking at one of the children's books from the shelves. Ed did that to pass the time, but the lack of sufficient intellectual stimuli made it an activity that only kept the boy's focus for about ten minutes before he completely lost interest. Which again made them perfect for phone calls.

"Hiya, Ed," Roy said with a grin as he closed the door. Ed's head popped up, the sound mixed with Ed's waining attention was enough to snap him out of the book he was currently looking at. "Daddy!" Ed said, jumping to his feet before he ran at Roy and jumped into his arms with the same enthusiasm as if he hadn't seen Roy for a month. Roy lifted him up, spinning him around twice, earning a gleeful "WHEEE!" from his son.

Roy hugged Ed to him and carried him over to the bed before he pulled the covers back over them.

"What did Uncle Maes want, Daddy?" Ed asked.

"It seems that Scar has been killed. Maes and the rest of the team are coming back to Central. Oh and Maes says hello back and to tell you that he's bought you a present."

Ed's eyes grew wide. "A present? Why?"

"Because Maes does that from time to time."

"Oh. That's really nice of him."

"He also told me to give you a good hug, so…" Roy turned over on his side and drew Ed in for a big hug. Ed placed his hand on his waist and hugged him back as tightly as he could.

"So Scar won't come after you again? Are you sure?"

"Even if he did survive, Ed, he was heavily injured, so it will be a long time until he shows up again."

"Good. I don't want him to hurt you."

Roy just stroked the back of Ed's head for a minute before the boy spoke again. "Daddy? Do you think that Scar is evil?"

"It's hard to say when you don't know why he's killing people in the first place. But he didn't hurt you, so he can't be evil all the way through at least. Why do you ask?"

"Because he saved me."

Roy paused. "How do you mean?"

"When we were falling down into the sewers, he shielded me. He even got hit by a rock because of it. Then afterwards he just carried me over to a dry spot, removed my boots and said "don't come after me or you'll catch a cold." I don't know if I can call him evil after that."

Roy was surprised. He had completely forgotten about how Ed could have moved to the place where Roy had found him in the sheer joy of finding him alive and safe. Roy felt an odd sense of gratitude towards the man. It only worried Roy that Ed had been keeping this to himself. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

Ed pulled the hand on Roy's waist to him. "I thought it might make people want not to arrest him and then he could go after you again."

Roy just hugged Ed tighter. "Ed, Scar has killed a lot of people, he would be arrested either way."

Ed didn't say anything and Roy just lay there, hugging him.

* * *

Al was sitting in the living room, reading one of Dad's old spy books. It was actually quite fun, and Al had read the previous eight books in the series during the last two days. Grandma came over and sat down in the chair opposite him. "I see you're reading one of those books again. Your father used to love them when he was your age." She smiled at him.

"He did?"

"Yes. Very much so. From age twelve to fourteen all he did was run around in his tuxedo jacket, playing "John Michaels, Special Agent". He even had a toy gun."

"I can't really imagine that."

"Then I'll show you." She stood up and went over to one of the shelves, retrieving an album. She sat down beside Al and began flicking through the pictures. She found the one she was looking for and handed the album to Al.

Someone who was clearly a young Roy Mustang was standing there, grinning broadly, his right foot resting on what had to be one of the waitresses's back. He was dressed in a white shirt with a grey tuxedo jacket, black trousers and black socks. He had a toy gun pointed at the waitress, but what really caught Al's attention was the glinting metal from the boy's braces.

"Dad had braces?"

"Yes, he had indeed. He used to have quite the underbite in his childhood. We got it corrected though, but Roy was quite shy about them at school."

"Did he get bullied?"

"No, nothing like that, he was quite popular among the ladies, especially when he got the braces off. My girls here used to dote on him and were more than happy to give him a few pointers on how to impress the girls in his class."

"Well, that was nice of them, I guess."

She chuckled. "Anyway, like I said, Roy used to run around, pretending to be a spy. He was always climbing the banisters, pretending to listen in on "our secret meetings", also known as lunch breaks, that sort of stuff. I don't think there was a single waitress here at one point who hadn't played either villain or damsel in distress."

"But wasn't it dangerous for him to be climbing the banisters?"

"Yes, which is why he broke his arm when he was thirteen. He did get excellent treatment at the hospital, though, as the doctor in charge was a frequent visitor here. That all stopped, however when he reached sixteen and went to study alchemy with the Hawkeyes."

"He what?" This was news to Al. He had never known that Dad and Riza knew each other from before the military,

"He hasn't told you? Roy's teacher was Riza's father. That's why their bond is so close. They've known each other for a long time now."

"They have? I never knew that." Al had to say that it was interesting to say the least.

They spent the rest of the evening looking through pictures that portrayed a very different version of Roy Mustang than the one Al had known through the military, but was closer to the Roy Mustang he now knew as his Dad.

* * *

Lillian sat in her bed, tilting back and forth, hugging her knees to her. She was glancing at the clock on the wall in front of her. It was that time again. The shackles that kept her hands apart were rattling with her anticipation.

She didn't know who these people were, only that they promised her that she would have her son back soon. She knew that these people were amazing. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before. And they were the only ones that had said that she would have her son. They just needed her help first and then they'd take him back from Roy Mustang. The man who stole her son. She would kill him if she could. He had stolen her son and now he was pretending that he was his father? The nerve.

She had been informed of Grant's passing, which saddened her greatly. He was a good man and would have been a much better father to Edward than Mustang will ever be. Edward deserves someone who cares about him. Roy Mustang was only feeling guilty. That was the only reason. He was a filthy killer and he dared call himself Edward's father. She would kill him, she was sure of that.

Then the familiar shadow slid out from under the door and the black hands snaked their way around her and placed five new pictures in her left hand. She smiled. "Thank you."

The shadows disappeared and she jumped out of her bed and walked over to the wall. She grabbed the glue stick and glued the five new pictures on the wall. "Oh, so you went swimming, Sweetheart? I hope you had fun. We can go swimming too. Just wait a little longer."

She then glared at the smiling man holding her son and began scratching away his face as she had done with the rest of them. When she was done, she placed a kiss on her son's forehead. "We'll be together again soon, Edward. You'll be back together with Mummy again. Just wait until the Promised Day. Then Mummy will come back for you and we shall start our life together as the family we're meant to be."


	30. Chapter 30

**I'm still not exactly sure how this story has now reached 70 000 words, but it has, so thank you so much to everybody who has stuck with me this far!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter thirty**

Ed was curious. Uncle Maes had called the four of them to the office for "an emergency meeting". And so they were walking through the halls of military HQ. He was a bit scared that it was bad news and that Daddy was in danger again.

"Daddy? Do you think everything is okay?" Ed looked up at him and tightened his grip on his hand.

Daddy smiled reassuringly back at him and squeezed his hand. "I'm sure it's fine, Ed."

"I hope so."

They reached the office and as soon as the door was opened, Ed was attacked by something big and furry that blocked his view and then began drooling in his face.

Ed screamed.

Then he ran as the creature began howling, surely preparing to eat him. Ed ran to the first room he could find and underneath a table, clamping his hands over his ears and shutting his eyes tightly.

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and he yelled again as he looked up at …

… a boy of about nine years.

"Who are you?" Ed asked. Kids weren't usually around here, were they?

"I'm Selim Bradley, what are you doing in my father's office?"

"I was attacked by a big, furry monster!"

Selim seemed confused. Then Ed heard laughter just as he realised that he'd been in this room once before. He froze. Sitting behind the desk by the window was none other than Führer Bradley.

He'd run straight inside the office of the country's ruler and yelled at his son.

But for some reason, Führer Bradley was laughing.

"I see that puppy wasn't done scaring people after sending Second Lieutenant Breda running out of that office earlier today."

Ed was confused, but at least he didn't seem to be in trouble. "What do you mean, "puppy", sir?"

"From what I gathered, Master Sergeant Fuery found a puppy out in the rain earlier today. I gave him permission to keep it in the office for the day under the condition that he found it a home after Selim convinced me to."

"Oh."

"Are you by any chance afraid of dogs, Edward?" The Führer spoke kindly, a twinkle in his eye.

"No. But it was right in my face and I thought it was a monster." Ed felt a bit stupid now and stood up slowly.

"Considering your history, that's perfectly understandable."

"Who is this, Father?" Selim asked.

"Oh, of course, where are my manners? Selim, this is Edward Elric-Mustang."

Edward straightened up a little, there was something about having the Führer himself say his new name that gave him a surge of pride.

Selim's eyes became a pair of stars. "You are?! You used to be the Fullmetal Alchemist?!"

"Yes?" Ed was a bit taken aback by his reaction. The stranger looked like he wanted to hug him.

"Oh, cool! Is it true that you can do alchemy even though you're only five?!"

"Yes."

"Wow!"

Führer Bradley chuckled. "Selim is a bit of a fan of yours."

"Oh." Ed honestly didn't know how he was supposed to react to that.

"But Edward, I don't think we should take up so much of your time, not when your father is probably looking for you."

Ed had been so surprised and intimidated by finding himself in the Führer's office, he hadn't thought about that. Daddy must be worried sick about him by now.

"Why don't you help him find him, Selim?"

"Of course!"

The Führer pressed a button on his desk and next second a man in a black suit stepped out from a side door. "Yes, sir?"

"Ah, Jason, please assist Selim and young Edward here in finding Colonel Mustang."

"Yes, sir."

Soon the three of them were out in the corridors and Ed was just following Selim's lead. At least he knew his way around here. Jason followed them without saying anything and Ed found his presence a bit intimidating.

"Father told me what happened to you. I'm sorry," Selim said.

"Thanks."

"Do you remember anything about being the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

"No."

"Oh. So there's really nothing? It's all just gone? You don't even have funny dreams?"

"No."

"Can you still clap your hands to transmute?"

"No. I don't know how I used to do it."

Selim looked disappointed. They walked in silence for a while. "You know, I'm adopted too."

"You are?" Ed hadn't heard about that.

"Yes. And I'm so lucky. Father is a great man. And Mother is so kind. How about you? What's it like being the Flame Alchemist's son?"

"It's great! Daddy is the best Daddy in the world! He's funny and kind and brave and he loves me and Al so much."

"He sounds great, but I'm still sure that my Father is the best one in the world." Selim stopped walking and looked at Ed sternly.

Ed was sure that Selim was wrong. "No! Daddy's the best! He even bought me a Robert!" Ed said stubbornly, his arms crossed.

* * *

Roy was worried. He had no idea where Ed had run off to and he had been through every floor of the complex now, but he was just gone. All because Hughes had shoved a puppy in Ed's face.

He had been running back and forth all over, gaining plenty of curious looks, but he didn't care. Roy had to say that he sort of regretted the fact that he had always been berating Fullmetal for always fighting in a fight or flight situation. Flight was inevitably worse when the kid was five and running on adrenaline and post-traumatic stress. It opened up for a whole lot of new hiding places. And Roy hated this kind of panic. As a parent, not knowing where your five-year-old son had run off to while he was scared, was one of the worst things he could imagine. It opened up for so many what ifs and they always got worse and worse with each one. Ed was small, even for a five-year-old and he didn't know how to fight. That made him an incredibly easy target and so Roy's head was filled with thoughts of car accidents, child molesters, kidnappers, people that had it out for Roy, people that had it out for Ed, knife-wielders, sword-wielders and snipers just to mention some. He checked his pocket watch. He'd be meeting up with the others at the office in ten minutes to see if they had found Ed.

"NO! MY DADDY IS THE BEST! HE CAN MAKE THE WORLD'S BEST HOMEMADE ICE CREAM!" Roy suddenly heard a very familiar voice shout from somewhere inside a larger group of soldiers. The soldiers were laughing and smiling and Roy pushed his way through them only to find a very angry Ed glaring at another boy with his arms crossed. The boy seemed equally angry. Roy was filled with a kind of ecstatic confusion.

He strode forwards and put a hand on Ed's shoulder, making him turn towards him, only to have a man put his hand on Roy's shoulder. Ed was immediately hugging Roy's leg as he turned around to look at the other man. He wasn't wearing a uniform, but was instantly recognisable as a bodyguard.

"May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Colonel Roy Mustang and this is my son." Roy was seriously confused as to what was going on right now.

"Is this correct, Mister Edward?"

"Yes!"

The bodyguard removed his hand and Roy picked Ed up and hugged him, earning a hug back and a kiss on his cheek. It was unusually affectionate for Ed in this social setting. Roy was just so glad to find him safe and sound that he decided he didn't care and kissed the top of his head despite all the soldiers that were watching.

"Well, Master Selim, I guess we should return to your father's office," the bodyguard said to the other boy.

Roy froze.

The soldiers around them began sniggering again.

"Ed, what exactly has been going on?"

"I ran into the Führer's office and when he found out he sent Selim and Mister Jason to help me find you, but Selim keeps insisting that his father is better than mine!"

Roy didn't really know what to say. Ed had been arguing with the Führer's son about which father was the greatest in front of a whole group of soldiers, and judging by how many there were, they had been doing so for at least five minutes. What had Ed been saying? Roy could be arrested for treason if Ed had said the wrong things.

It was cleared up pretty quickly, however, as Roy heard whispers of "the Hero of the Inflatable Turtle" and the "Fusilli Alchemist".

"So I told him everything that you're great at and why you're the best Daddy in the world!" Ed said, still looking furious. "But he still thinks his father is better than you! He's stupid!"

"Edward, be careful, that's our ruler's son," Roy whispered so quietly that only Ed could hear him. Ed's eyes widened. He turned his head quickly in the direction of Selim Bradley and said "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult your father."

A few of the soldiers burst out laughing. Roy felt painfully aware of all the eyes that were on him.

Selim nodded and looked at Roy. "And I did not mean to insult you, Colonel Mustang."

"No offence taken. Thank you for helping Edward."

Selim nodded and walked off with his bodyguard.

The crowd dispersed now that the fun was over, although quite a few of the soldiers were still laughing. Roy had a nasty feeling that his reputation as a cold-hearted soldier may have died with Robert.

Roy carried Ed back to the office, Ed was still hugging him tightly, resting his head against Roy's right shoulder. "But I still think that you are the greatest Daddy in the world."

Roy kissed his forehead. "Thank you, Ed, but you really shouldn't shout reasons that you think I'm greater than the Führer in the middle of HQ. It could be seen as treason."

"Oh, sorry, Daddy, I didn't think of it like that."

Roy just kissed his forehead again and then opened the office door, finding the rest of the team, save Breda, already waiting there. Once they saw Ed, you could feel the whole room just letting out its breath while Alphonse ran over with a relieved shout. "Brother! You're safe!"

"Where did you find him?" Maes asked, smiling.

"On the first floor." Roy would rather not repeat the whole story right now in order to save himself and Ed from further embarrassment.

"Oh, good."

Roy sat down in a chair, still trying furiously to keep his cheeks from reddening. "Now, Hughes, about this emergency meeting…"

In answer, Maes strode forwards and placed the puppy that had caused all these problems in the first place onto Ed's lap. Ed let go of Roy and began petting it, laughing as it licked his face. "This little fellow needs a home, and I thought how perfect it was for him to go and live with the four of you! Think about how it would really complete your family!"

Roy sighed. He had been thinking about serial killers or something like that, but it was just Maes who had wanted them to adopt a dog? And had sent Ed off running in panic because of the way he had presented it. Great.

Alphonse was petting the puppy too now and it was lying on its back in Ed's lap, having its belly scratched.

"Can we keep it, Dad?" Alphonse asked.

Maes smiled.

Ed looked up at Roy hopefully too. "Please, Daddy?"

Roy groaned. He really didn't want to say no to them, and he knew how Alphonse loved pets. Who knew, maybe it would also help Ed with his anxiety too. And Roy really liked dogs … And with Hawkeye there, there was no way that the dog wouldn't learn to behave itself.

Roy sighed, knowing that he had lost.

* * *

Wrath was pleased with what the day had revealed. Sending Pride to get some information out of the boy had been a good idea. Unfortunately, it seemed that the child really had lost whatever information he had gained from the Portal.

He looked over at Lust. "It would seem that even though Edward Elric-Mustang may not be reliable as a sacrifice, he is still useful to us. There is no question that Roy Mustang would do anything to save his son, so he can easily be pushed into opening the Portal."

"You don't say. It sounds like you just saved your neck, Wrath. But maybe this little mistake was all for the better then. It seems that the boy is key for making three of our sacrifices behave."

* * *

**Quick question, people: should Black Hayate still be named that or should he be given another name?**


	31. Chapter 31

**So the vote ended up two against two, so I made the decision not to keep Black Hayate's name, because I honestly can't see Ed agreeing to that name. I hope you all agree with the name I settled on as I spent a lot of the last two days trying to decide.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter thirty-one**

"We need to name him!" Ed said, looking up at Roy, grinning. They were back at the living room above the bar and the puppy was sniffing around the room interestedly. They had stopped at a pet shop on the way over, buying the necessary supplies, leaving Roy's wallet considerably lighter than when they left here this morning. Alphonse was laying the new dog bed down on the floor and the puppy was interestedly sniffing it before he looked up at Hawkeye to check that it was all right that he lay down on it.

Roy understood why he looked to her for confirmation. Back at the office she had shot the wall around the poor creature for peeing outside the designated toilet mat. It had quickly learnt not to cross her.

When she nodded her approval, the dog yawned and then walked on top of the bed and walked around in a few circles before it lay down and rested its head on its paws.

"What do you think, Dad?" Al said. "I kind of like Freddie. Or maybe Brian."

"I don't know. I think he looks a bit like a Paul."

"I don't like them," Ed said, concentration obviously at its peak judging by the frown on his face.

"Black Hayate," Hawkeye said.

Ed just stared at her.

"No," Roy said. "I'm not shouting that in public."

Ed looked up at him, nodding once. "Good. I'm not either."

"May I ask what's wrong with it?" Hawkeye said.

"I'm not having a small dog called "Black Hurricane.""

Ed just stared at Hawkeye for suggesting it. "He's too sweet for that! He's not a hurricane! Hurricanes are bad!"

"What about Roger? Or maybe John?" Al suggested.

"No." Ed was shaking his head.

"Richard?"

"No, I can't risk someone calling my dog "Dick". Havoc would find that much too amusing," Roy said. "Maes too, for that matter."

"Why, Daddy?" Ed asked, confused.

Roy would rather explain that to him a few years, or at least not with Hawkeye present. As if reading Roy's mind, she walked towards the stairs. "I'll find a guide to boys's names and their meanings. I saw a shop that might have one on the way over here."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

She left the room, and if Roy didn't know better, he could have sworn that Al was somehow blushing. He knew that the kid wasn't one for swearing, or explaining this for that matter. This was one of the more awkward parts of parenting. Ed was sitting on Roy's lap, looking expectantly up at him. "Daddy?"

"Uhm... Well, Ed, it's like this: "dick" can be used as a nickname for people named Richard, but other than that, it's also a swear word and a very insulting thing to call someone. It's also a more insulting name for … well … penis." Roy had to say that parenting brought him a whole lot of awkwardness.

Ed's eyes grew wide at the explanation. "Oh. Why would Jean and Maes laugh at that when it's a bad word?"

"Because they're childish and think it's funny."

"They're weird." Ed looked a bit confused, as if trying to find out exactly how it would be funny.

"That they are, Ed, but they're good people."

"I know. Daddy, can I try out Uncle Maes's present?"

Roy smiled. Ed had got a set of five rubber ducks with different "clothes" because Ed had told him about Jimmy-Charlie back home. So now Ed had a pirate duck, a doctor duck, a chef duck, a mother duck in a pink dress and a small baby duck with a pacifier and a diaper to add to his collection.

"Would it be all right with you, Al?"

"Yes, it gives me a chance to try out the new book Maes gave me." Al held up the thick spy book and Roy could hear the smile in his voice.

Roy lifted Ed up and carried him downstairs to the bar. The Madame was cleaning it, preparing for a stag party that had been planned to happen today before Roy had phoned her to tell her that they were coming. Roy was very happy that the sound proofing was excellent so that things wouldn't get awkward as drunk men would begin shouting loudly.

"I'm going to give Ed a bath, if it's all right with you?" Roy said.

"Sure. Have you decided upon a name yet?"

"No. Hawkeye left to buy a book on boys's names and their meanings in order to find something fitting."

"Ah, I see. Otherwise I quite like Geoffrey."

Ed shook his head, but then lit up. "It's perfect for the baby duck!"

Madame Christmas chuckled. "Glad to be of help." Ed had shown her the rubber ducks as soon as they got back.

"Thank you, Grandma! Good luck tonight!"

"Thank you, Ed."

And so Roy carried Ed upstairs and while Ed ran to find the ducks, Roy began preparing the bath water and removing his uniform jacket and shirt.

Roy heard the sound of small legs running excitedly towards him and smiled. Ed was soon enough standing beside him and dropping the ducks in his arms into the foamy water. They disappeared into the foam and Ed then turned to Roy and lifted his arms into the air for Roy to remove his sweater. Once the clothes were removed, Roy lifted Ed by his armpits and put him in the bath. Ed grinned at him from where he sat and began retrieving the rubber ducks in order to use them to play.

"Okay, Daddy, they need some names first. Geoffrey's fine, then there's the Mommy ducky, her name can be Winnifred, Wendy for short." Ed handed Roy the ducks as he spoke. "Then the chef ducky, he can be a Max. He's Geoffrey's uncle. Then comes the pirate ducky, he's Geoffrey's Daddy, he's actually really nice although he's a pirate and he gives the extra money to the poor. Then there's Doctor … Sheppard, he's their GP. His first name is John."

"Sounds good."

"So if you can be the Daddy and the Mommy and the uncle and then I can be Geoffrey and the doctor."

"Okay."

"So they're going to the doctor's so Mommy and Daddy and the uncle are there to follow him because Geoffrey needs a flu shot, but Geoffrey's scared."

And so Roy took the three ducks in question in his hands and was wondering where this was going. If this was some way for Ed to deal with what happened to him, then Roy wasn't going to stop it. Maybe this was a way for him to talk about his fears and feelings surrounding it.

"Come on, Son, it's time to go to Doctor Sheppard," Roy said, moving the pirate duck while trying to speak as pirate-y as he could.

"But I don't want to! Needles are scary!"

"Come on, now, Geoffrey, it will only hurt a bit and then you won't be able to get sick later," Roy said, this time talking as the mother duck and therefore making his voice lighter.

"But it's still scary. Needles hurt. What if there's something else in the syringe? What if there's been some mistake and something's wrong and I get hurt?"

"They check that. They are very proper when it comes to these sorts of things," Roy said as the uncle.

"Geoffrey? You're up," Ed said, trying, and failing, to speak gruffly, making the boy seem even more adorable than usual. He had pushed the doctor duck through the foam as he said it.

When Ed made Geoffrey hesitate, Roy gently pushed the duck with the pirate, nudging him to move forwards. "Go on, Son, it'll be alright."

"Don't wanna."

"Come on, Geoffrey, we'll go get you some ice cream afterwards," Roy said, nudging Geoffrey with the mother duck, too.

And so Ed let Geoffrey be shoved towards the foam where the doctor was waiting.

Roy kept studying Ed as they played through the scenario. Ed seemed to be partially there, yet somewhere far away as well, especially when the doctor supposedly pulled out the syringe. He was breathing a bit faster and was obviously scared. Roy wasn't sure whether this was a good idea or not anymore. Yet Ed seemed determined to go through with it. The way he presented the doctor was as a kind professional, far from the way that Lillian and Grant had been. At least from what he had gathered. When Ed made the doctor stick the invisible needle into Geoffrey's wing, Ed froze. His eyes glazed over and he clearly wasn't there anymore. He began shaking and tears streamed down his cheeks and then Roy moved forwards, lifting Ed out of the bathtub and onto his lap, not caring about the soapy water that was coming off the dripping boy and soaking through Roy's military trousers. "Listen, Ed, it's all right. You're safe. You're here and not there and nobody is going to take that away from you."

Ed just began sobbing and Roy sighed and pressed his lips against his forehead, soothing him.

"Why can't I get past it, Daddy? Why am I still so scared?"

"Because you've been through a traumatic experience and things like that need time to heal. It's just how it is, Ed."

"But I don't want it to! I don't wanna be scared anymore!"

_So Ed had been stubbornly trying to face his fears…_

"Ed, listen, it will be okay some day. You're already doing a lot better, aren't you?"

Roy could see some of the old impatience shining through and it made it very clear to him how this kid could get through the process of getting automail in just a year. It also reminded him that he was seeing some flashes of Fullmetal from time to time and it happened more and more often as Ed adjusted to how his world had ended up. Ed was still distrustful of most people, but he was much less jumpy unless somebody came out of nowhere with the same abruptness that an attacker would employ. He was slowly getting better and showing more and more of his personality. He still had a lot of bad dreams however, which saddened Roy greatly, but they were slowly getting fewer.

"Let's get you dried up, Ed," Roy said, moving to get a towel.

"No. I'm not done playing."

"Ed, are you sure?"

"Yes. I wanna play."

And so, once Roy was sure that Ed was up for it, he placed Ed back in the bathtub and Ed immediately grabbed the doctor and the pirate, filled them with water, and squeezed them so that Roy was suddenly had a very wet face. Roy found the towel and dried his face before he grabbed the mother and the chef and did the same to Ed, starting a full out war between the pair of them. They were soon giggling and soaked and Roy was surely going to have to use alchemy to get the soap stains out of his uniform.

After about half an hour of this, Roy heard a couple of knocks on the door before it was opened and two sets of dry pyjamas, one large and one much smaller, were lying inside the bathroom.

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

"No problem, sir. I found a book on names and their meanings. I've been discussing some options with Alphonse and we've made a list."

"Sounds great, we'll be there shortly."

"Very well, sir."

Roy turned around to talk to Ed only to have him jump out of the tub, laughing as he landed on Roy and nearly made him fall backwards as he caught him. Ed planted a big kiss on Roy's cheek and hugged him tightly.

Roy hugged him back and dried him off before drying himself as well. The pair of them were soon changing into their pyjamas before Roy pulled out a piece of chalk from the inner pocket of his uniform jacket and drew up a transmutation circle. He activated it and soon enough the soapy water was reduced to steam and Roy only had to wipe away the chalk lines with a wet piece of toilet paper.

And so they walked down into the living room where the dog was lying happily in its new bed and looking up at them while wagging its tail.

Hawkeye placed a thick book on her lap and began flicking through its pages.

And so they were soon throwing out ideas for half an hour until Ed suddenly stood up and took the book from Hawkeye's hands. He flicked through the pages before he suddenly slammed his finger onto a point on the page. "Hey, how about this? It means "legendary wolf" so that fits!" Ed looked up at them all, smiling widely.

"Rolf."

* * *

**Okay, so I may have intentionally had Alphonse suggest the first names of the four members of Queen, plus John Deacon's middle name, but I just had too, I absolutely adore that band.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Ha-ha! I got over my writer's block for this story, so I'm back!**

**And this disclaimer will count for every future chapter that I shall ever write: I only own my manga box set + my The Sacred Star Of Milos DVD that will be arriving in the mail next week (yay!)**

* * *

**Chapter thirty-two**

Roy was just done giving Ed a bath when the phone rang in the hallway outside. He could hear Hawkeye answer it and so he returned his focus back to Ed who was sitting in the draining water, expectantly waiting for Roy to dry him off with the towel in his hand.

Roy began drying the boy's hair gently, yet with enough force to actually get the job done. Ed began laughing as Roy dried his face and decided to squeeze his nose twice while saying "honk-honk."

There were a couple of knocks on the door and Roy paused the drying process once again.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"That was the office of the Führer, sir. The Führer wanted to make sure that you remember the annual military ball in three days."

Roy had completely forgotten about that with all that was going on. It was an annual event reserved for everyone from the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and above and their families. It had something to do with "strengthening the unity countrywide."

"Are you allowed to join me this year?" Roy had always had to go alone the previous years and ninety per cent of the crowd were usually divided into two main groups: the ones who wanted to use Roy and were nice to him, and the ones who thought he was far too young and that he had cheated himself up the ranks because of his alchemy.

And he always had to go _alone_ because none of his subordinates were of high enough rank to attend.

"Unfortunately not, sir."

Roy sighed. "Thank you for telling me, Lieutenant."

"Of course, sir."

Roy could hear her walk away and found his own nose being squeezed by Ed's small hand. "Honk!" he said, smiling brightly before he began giggling.

Roy smiled back and began drying the rest of him off.

"Daddy? What's that ball you were talking about?"

"It's a ball for military officers and their families, but they need to be of a rank of Lieutenant Colonel or higher to be allowed to come."

"So you're taking me and Al then?"

"Yes, but Hawkeye will have to stay back."

"I've never been to a ball, will there be many people?"

"A few hundred. There will be live music and a buffet. And then the Führer himself will give a speech. People will basically just be talking and some dancing, although you don't have to dance." Ed had looked horrified for a second.

"So am I going to need fancy clothes?"

Roy hadn't thought of that, but yes. "You will. Maybe we could go shopping for it today?"

"Okay."

There seemed to be some reluctance from the boy.

"Is there something wrong, Ed?" Roy asked, looking at him where he sat with the yellow towel around him.

"People keep looking at me funny when they hear my name. They pity me all the time. Either that or they seem ashamed to look at me. Because they know who I was they don't see _me_. It's like they don't believe I'm real and so they don't know how to act around me. Like I'm _different_. Like I'm a _freak_." The golden orbs looked a bit unsure and hurt. "I don't like it, Daddy."

Roy sighed sadly and picked Ed out of the tub and placed him on his lap, hugging him tightly. "I understand, Ed."

"I'm just _me_. It wasn't my fault that this happened and I just want people to see _me_. They always talk differently to me than to everyone else who's my age. Why can't I just be five? I feel five."

Roy kissed the top of his head. He knew how difficult it is for people to see that Ed was just a five-year-old boy. What Roy had done was basically just to listen to Ed. To act like he was the five-year-old boy that he had been made into. But he had done what most people didn't. He had separated "Fullmetal" and "Ed". He saw them as two entirely different people. But most people were fooled by his appearance. They were expecting something different because Ed was really supposed to be a scientific impossibility.

But how could Roy explain that without making Ed feel like a freak? Roy wanted his boy to live as normally as he could.

"Ed, when they hear what happened to you, they expect you to be something different. They just can't see that you're a five-year-old boy because they're blinded by their own expectations of you."

"But I don't like it. I just wanna be _me_! I don't wanna be different!"

"Ed, just remember that if people look at you funny, it's because they are limited, not because there's anything wrong with you."

Ed began crying silently into Roy's chest and Roy just let him. He couldn't really imagine how this must be for anyone, especially someone so young, but so smart. Ed noticed things about people that gave them away, which meant that he wasn't fooled by a fake smile.

And even though Roy hated it, he knew that Ed would probably be hurt plenty of times as he grew up because of what happened to him.

_I just want you to be happy, Ed._

* * *

Ed was walking into the clothes shop, holding Daddy's hand in his so that he didn't lose him. There were children's clothes all over the place and it was a bit scary really. Ed had been to shops like this before, but they were still so much larger than the ones in Resembool. This shop even had two floors: one for boys and one for girls. They walked upstairs to the boy section and Ed just followed Daddy. It was a lot simpler that way.

Al and Auntie Riza were outside because Al's size really didn't fit these places and he would accidentally rip clothes as he walked past them.

And so they came to a halt in front of the fancier section of the store. Here Ed dared to stray away from Daddy so that he could look at clothes himself. Ed didn't really know what kind of suit he wanted, so he was just going to look until he found something that took his fancy.

Ed kept walking past rows upon rows of clothes until his eyes fell upon a deep red, shiny suit. "Daddy! Look! I like this one!" Ed said, smiling. He just hoped it was the right size. It looked like it and there were four of them, so it made it a lot more likely that he'd find one that fit.

Daddy came over soon enough and picked one of the suits and held it out to have a look. Ed liked it a lot. It was black on the inside and it was soft to touch too. "Is it my size?"

Daddy had a look at them and then picked one out with a smile. "This one is. What colour of shirt would you like underneath?"

"Black would be cool."

"Then we'll see if we can find one."

"Yay!"

And so Ed went with him and had to check between the different textures of shirt. Ed didn't like it when they weren't soft. When Ed had found the one he liked best, he went into the changing rooms to try it on. He managed to get into it all by himself and he really liked it. It had a bit of extra length so that Ed could use it more than once seeing as how he would grow. And so he drew back the curtain with a big grin.

* * *

Roy had to say that the suit fit Ed. And he seemed very happy with it. And so Roy smiled back at Ed, even though he knew that the suit was ridiculously expensive. He could afford it after all.

Roy had to say, though, that it was pretty sweet how Ed had buttoned the shirt wrong.

"What do you think, Daddy?" Ed asked hopefully.

"It's great, Ed. Now we just need shoes and a bow tie."

"Al should get a bow tie too!" Ed said eagerly.

Roy couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. In a way, it sounded very much like Al to wear a bow tie despite being a large suit of armour. "I'll go look for them while you wait here, okay? That way we can check if the bow tie matches your suit."

"Sure!" And so Ed sat down on the little bench inside the cubicle.

Roy went off, looking at bow ties. With a red suit, Roy could really only go with a red bow tie as well, because a black one wouldn't be visible against the shirt.

Roy hadn't told Ed that they were actually shopping at the largest and most expensive children's clothes shop in Central. At the ball, the other soldiers tended to show off their families in their fanciest clothes, and now it was Roy's turn. He was actually a father now and Ed and Al deserved everything they wanted.

_Oh god, I __**am**__ spoiling them._

Roy had a look at the bow ties, finding them all to be a bit off in colour, although he found a perfect one for Alphonse. Roy had a feeling that it was kind of like a joke bow tie because of the size, but it would fit Alphonse perfectly. The bright redness of it would also make a nice contrast to the steel. But for Ed, Roy began looking at ties instead. He found one that had a kind of checkered red pattern that would be perfect colour-wise, so he brought it over to Ed, hoping that he would like it.

Judging by his big grin, he did.

When they walked out the doors ten minutes later, shopping bag in hand, Roy was smiling at the thought that he was actually not going to be without a family once again at the military ball.

* * *

**I just have one question for you readers: do I use enough description when I write? When I compare my writing to a lot of other stories, mine seem to be more focused on dialogue. Is that okay with you people?**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter thirty-three**

Roy walked through the double doors to the large hall they were using as a ballroom. There were people everywhere and Ed gripped his left hand tighter. The band was playing some cheerful tune and military uniforms were to be seen all over the place. The lighting was dowsed a bit in order to make "a cosier atmosphere" probably, making the candles on the buffet extra visible.

"Daddy? I'm hungry," Ed said.

"Then I guess we'll find some food." Roy was more than happy to have a goal in mind, a kind of predetermined destination. Until Roy was recognised at these balls, he always became the odd loner in the corner for the first half hour. And so they joined the modest crowd around the buffet.

Ed was eyeing the many plates of food with awe, probably trying to figure out where to begin. After walking along the table, they came upon a large, juicy piece of roast beef that had been neatly cut, revealing the perfectly cooked meat. Roy had to admit it smelled heavenly. Ed's eyes grew wide and he pointed towards it eagerly. "I want that, Daddy!"

_I think Daddy wants some too in fact…_

And so Roy brought two big pieces of meat onto both plates and then found some chopped potatoes on the tray next to the roast beef and dumped some on the two plates. After finding a knife and fork each, Roy carried their plates over to a table and the two of them sat down while Al was kind enough to find them something to drink. Showing up a bit early had obviously been a good idea, because the meat was still warm for once and Ed was grinning broadly as he chomped down on the food.

"Hey, Ed! I found you some orange drink," Al said cheerfully, coming over to them and placing a pair of glasses in front of them.

"Yay! Thanks, Al!" Ed was grinning, the little boy's fondness for good food was actually quite entertaining. Roy too got a glass of the orange drink that Ed was so fond of.

Roy suddenly had a hand on his shoulder and looked up at General Grumman. "Hello, Mustang! It's good to see you again. I've been missing my chess partner."

"Why don't you have a seat, General?" Roy smiled.

"Don't mind if I do," the man smiled, sitting down. He looked over at Ed and Al and smiled warmly at them. "Hello, boys! I'm General Grumman, I used be Colonel Mustang's boss over at East."

Edward was looking scared up at him. Al had met him before, Roy knew, but to Ed, this was a complete stranger. And so Roy put his hand on his shoulder. "He's also Auntie Riza's grandfather."

Ed relaxed at that and stretched his arm across the small table. "I'm Edward Elric-Mustang, sir. It's very nice to meet you."

Grumman chuckled at that and shook his hand. Roy could see just a hint of sadness in those eyes, but the man hid it well. "It's very nice to meet you too." He then shook Al's hand. "And it's good to see you again, Alphonse."

"You too, sir."

"So I knew you too?" Ed asked, getting that slightly shameful, guilty look he always had when realising that he was treating people he knew like complete strangers. Like it was his own fault. Roy squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Mostly just from rumours. We met a few times, but it was mostly Colonel Mustang and Riza who would keep me updated. I met Alphonse a few times when you went missing."

"Oh. I see."

Grumman was noticing how awkwardly Ed was acting and smiled at him. "That looks really good, Edward, do you recommend that?"

Ed looked back down at his plate and realised that he had stopped eating. He immediately put his fork into the meat and started shovelling the food into his mouth. "Yup!"

They chuckled fondly at Ed's response and talked about this and that as Roy and Ed ate. They were interrupted, however, as another General asked to speak to Grumman and so the man had to leave the table. Al offered to help Ed with getting his second helpings. And so Roy just watched his boys as they went off to stand in the now large line. People were everywhere, getting food and talking and whatnot. Roy kind of wished that Maes would be here too, but he was staying home with Gracia because Elicia had the flu.

* * *

Ed kept getting pushed by the large crowd around him as he looked through the buffet again. Al shielded him from a lot of it, but it still made it hard to reach the foods.

"How about you go and get yourself something to drink instead, Brother? I know what you like and then I can fill up your plate for you," Al suggested.

"Okay, thanks, Al."

And so Ed found his way over to the table with the drinks instead. He had to stand in a line, though, surrounded by big, uniformed officers. The mention of Daddy's name made him interested in hearing what they had to say, however, and he focused his attention on listening to the large men talking behind him.

"I thought Mustang had been removed from his duties as a Colonel?"

"Yes, but he still retains his rank. Don't know how he didn't get demoted after that mess with the Fullmetal kid."

"Judging by what people are saying, though, those people really did us a favour. He was more trouble than he was worth."

"You're talking about the boy, right?"

"Of course! Apparently he couldn't go a single week without costing the military at least a million cens in destroyed property."

"But he was the Hero of the People, though. He was good PR at least."

"Yeah, but he was a pain in the ass as an officer. He did a case with my office once, probably the most unpleasant brat I've ever met. He kept scowling and ranting and he had a really short temper. Acted before he was thinking. I really just felt like hitting that stupid kid after talking to him for only a minute. Too stubborn for his own good."

"You don't say. You know what happened to him?"

"Heard he was honourably discharged after the kidnapping. Good riddance in my opinion."

"Why was he discharged though? I'd have thought it would be big news, but it's all been hushed up."

"Kid probably lost his mind or something. He clearly wasn't all there, the way he snapped at everyone. _Too_ short temper if you ask me."

"That's so sad."

"Trust me, if you'd met him, you'd think it was a blessing. Never met such an annoying person in my whole life. Really wish I had hit him while I had the chance."

"Hey, kid, the line's moving."

Ed felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't care, tears were streaming down his cheeks. So this was what people really thought of him? Had Daddy and all the others lied to him?

Ed felt the hand on his shoulder turn him around and the man to his right froze, his eyes wide. He seemed to recognise him. "You wanna hit me?" Ed asked, trying to wipe his face on his right sleeve. "Was I that bad?" Ed wanted to run, but the hand had only tightened its hold and he couldn't get away.

"How the hell?" the soldier to his right asked. He was tall and had blonde hair and moustache. He was gaping.

"You wanna hit me?" Ed asked again, beginning to sob. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for what I did!"

The man didn't say anything, neither of them did. Ed began crying loudly.

"Hey-hey-hey, take it easy, kid," the man still holding his shoulder said as people began talking.

"DADDY!" Ed bawled. He wanted to go home. He wanted to get away from here. These people hated him. They hated him because he had been bad and they didn't want him here.

"Hey, kid, relax!" the guy with his hand on his shoulder said. "He wasn't talking about you!"

"HE WAS!" Ed wailed.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Ed heard Daddy shout and next second, he was being lifted into his arms, getting a tight hug. Daddy was really mad. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

"THEY HATE ME, DADDY! I WANNA GO HOME!"

"What did you say to him?!" Daddy hissed, hugging Ed tightly. "TELL ME!"

"He wanted to hit me!" Ed sobbed into his shoulder. "I wanna go home!"

"Why the hell did you threaten my son?!" Daddy demanded. He was really, really angry.

"We didn't threaten him! It's not our fault he thinks he's Edward Elric!"

* * *

Al had dropped the plate in his hands at the first scream. Ed was shouting for Dad, and judging by his voice, he was crying. Al was immediately panicking. He had been in charge of Brother, so if he was in trouble or had hurt himself, then it was Al's fault. Al tried to find him, but there were a lot of people everywhere. He made his way towards the table with the drinks, but he heard Dad shout before he found his way through the crowd.

And Dad was really angry. His eyes were blazing with fury and Al was just happy that he wasn't wearing his ignition gloves or the two officers in front of him would be charcoal by now. Al got over to them just as the blonde officer said something about Brother thinking he was Edward Elric. "What's going on? Did you hurt Brother?!" Al demanded.

Ed was sobbing into Dad's shoulder. It made anger flare within him. Al had got even more protective of his brother now that he was five again. And when people made Ed sad, then Al got angry.

"H-how can _that_ be him?" A black-haired officer said. He was in his thirties and a Colonel judging by his uniform. The other one, a blonde, was in his forties and a Brigadier General. Al had met the General before.

"They hate me!" Ed sobbed. "He wanted to hit me!"

Al put his hand on Dad's shoulder. "I've got this, Dad, you just find Brother something to eat."

Dad left and Al stood there, crossing his arms, using his size to intimidate. That was the good thing about being in this suit of armour, when he wanted to scare people, it worked. The two soldiers cowered under his glare. "Do you have any problems with Brother?"

"Y-you mean to say that that kid really is Edward Elric?" the blonde said.

"It's General Richardson, right?"

The man nodded.

"I remember that case we worked together with you. You didn't like Brother much back then too. I know he wasn't behaving his best back then, but that could only be expected in the middle of a thunderstorm like that…"

Richardson looked confused. "Why does that have anything to do with it?"

Al was smiling inwardly, he was going to show this man how they had no right to judge his big brother. "Because of the automail, of course. Weather like that is really hard on it and makes the stumps ache a lot." Al had to say that he felt some relief at not having to see Ed go through that kind of pain again. It hurt even more when he knew that Ed didn't even allow himself to be in pain. That he had built up an insane pain threshold just to spare Al from worrying. But Al knew his brother and he could see that he was in pain anyway, so all Ed accomplished was that he created his own bubble of pain that he wouldn't let Al enter to help him or treat him.

"He had automail?" Richardson asked.

"Yes, that's where his title came from. He lost his arm and his leg when he was eleven during an accident."

"I-I didn't know that… But he joined the military just a year later? Recovery takes years, doesn't it?"

"He pushed himself through it so that he could start providing for us himself."

"Oh. That was brave of him…"

The other soldier nodded.

"When he was kidnapped they experimented and tortured him until he was left as a five-year-old. They deleted his memories and everything from the last ten years. Learning about what has happened hasn't been easy for him and he still has nightmares from the experiments."

"That's horrible!" the younger of them said, looking pale. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Alphonse."

"Thank you. I'm sorry about Ed's behaviour when you met him that week, but he was in a lot of pain and he slept really badly because of fevers."

Richardson looked embarrassed. "N-no, Alphonse, I'm the one who should apologise. I should have figured that the kid had a bad week or something. Come to think of it, he had some rather prominent rings under his eyes. I shouldn't have said what I did. I better go and apologise right now. You're good boys, you two, just keep it up." He then turned around and walked over to the ice cream bar where Dad was standing with Ed, preparing at least four scoops.

Al was pleased with himself. Making them feel bad about their behaviour was the best way to stop them from saying stuff like that and it taught them a lesson.

And it was kind of fun manipulating pompous jerks, although Al would never admit to it out loud…


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter thirty-four**

Roy woke up next morning as Ed began struggling in his sleep. Their stay at the bar had been extended, but the Madame was alright with it, although the bar was reopened, meaning that Ed wasn't really allowed to go down there without a grownup following him. Once Roy had managed to calm Ed down yesterday after being apologised to and getting a large amount of ice cream, Ed decided that they could stay until the end of the ball. Roy had got a lot of funny looks yesterday as he walked hand in hand with Ed, most likely due to the fact that he was still supposed to be the cold-hearted bachelor, not a family man. It was too late to change that now.

Not that he would. He was proud to be Ed and Al's father. He wouldn't change his sons for the world.

He gently placed his hand on Ed's shoulder while talking to him. Waking Ed up with stroking his cheek or hair would only cause the boy further distress because it had been what Lillian and Grant did every time they stuck those damned syringes into his back. Gently squeezing his shoulder, however, worked. And so Ed woke up slowly and rubbed his eyes, removing a few frightened tears. "Daddy?"

"Hi, Ed. You were having a nightmare," Roy said softly.

"Mhm." Ed then buried his face into Roy's undershirt and Roy hugged him tightly. It was just how it was. In a cruel way, they were used to it. Ed knew by now that they were just nightmares and that he was safe, it had been over a month now since it happened after all. He didn't need any reminders that he wasn't there anymore. He knew that it wasn't real once he woke up. Roy had become a kind of anchor to him. If Roy was there, then Ed seemed to know that he was safe. Roy hated that they had a routine for nightmares, but Ed seemed to also find some safety in the familiarity of it. They would just have to be patient. Ed had his whole life turned on its head and then some just a few weeks ago, him having nightmares about it was only to be expected, especially when there were almost daily reminders to how his life had changed. And the boy was still grieving the loss of his mother and also of his brother. Al had changed in ten years after all.

All in all, it was a lot to take in and process for a small child.

And Roy still felt an odd kind of pain as a part of him kept thinking that it had been a long time since Fullmetal came into the office. The more time that passed, the more the thought struck him that he wouldn't see his subordinate ever again. He was used to Fullmetal disappearing for weeks at a time, but that gave him an odd feeling that he'd come back again soon. And then the pain would strike him as he reminded himself that his subordinate was gone.

"I wanna go to Resembool," Ed said suddenly. "To say goodbye to Mom."

Roy cursed inwardly. He should have thought of that earlier. From Ed's point of view, the boy had yet to say farewell to his own mother. He had in a way, trusted the words of strangers that his mother was gone.

"Of course, Ed."

"Thank you, Daddy." Ed hugged Roy tightly. "I'm ready now to go back home."

Roy hadn't even considered that, but going to Resembool and see how his home had changed, how everything and everyone had changed, was not going to be easy either. Roy guessed it would be the final proof in a way. So far, Ed had only been in unfamiliar environments, but to go to where his memories still told him he had a home with his mother just two months ago, would be incredibly hard. It was probably why Ed had waited to ask before now.

Roy just kissed his forehead and hugged him tightly.

* * *

Al picked up the phone and dialled the Rockbells's number. Riza had reminded him that it was probably a good idea to phone ahead and Al had volunteered to do it, because he still didn't know how Granny felt about Dad and if she would be willing to offer up her house or not to him. Al knew that she loved him and Ed like her own grandsons, but having them there with so much that had happened, wasn't going to be easy for her. Especially not when they both called Roy Mustang their Dad now.

It was Winry who answered.

"Hi, Winry, it's Alphonse."

"Al? Is everything alright? Ed's not injured, right?" Winry was still on edge because that had basically been the reason for them calling in the past after all.

"No, it's just that Ed wants to say goodbye to Mom."

"Oh… because he doesn't remember her getting sick, he doesn't remember…" Al could practically hear the tears starting to form. "I forgot about that. D-does he know that your house is gone?"

"Yes, I've told him."

"I'll call for Granny, just wait a second…" There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments until Winry picked it up again. "She's busy sorting some wires, she'll come in a few minutes. How are things going with you?" She sounded a bit awkward, but it wasn't because she didn't want to talk, Al knew her well enough to know that. Al, too felt a bit awkward about all this. Combining his old family with his new one wasn't that easy to get used to.

"Good. We're in Central, visiting our new Grandma."

"Oh, so Colonel Mustang has a mother? I didn't think about that, but you've got a new family to get to know now, haven't you?"

"Actually it's just her. She's his adoptive mother, but she's actually his aunt. We've been staying with her for over a week now. And we've adopted a puppy! His name is Rolf and he's really cute."

"So you really are a proper family now, I guess." She sounded both happy and sad at the same time.

"Yes, but you and Granny are still our family, you know that right?"

"Yes, of course. How is Ed doing? Is he getting better?"

"A little at a time. He's still having a lot of nightmares and won't fall asleep without having Dad there, but he's getting less scared and more trusting."

"That's good to hear. And you, Al, how are you handling this?" She spoke in a tone telling him that he wasn't allowed to lie.

"I miss him, of course. I try to see the positive things about this, but it still hurts that I don't have a big brother anymore … And it feels odd to see him like that. He doesn't have any scars, you know. It just struck me when he walked past me in the hallway in only his boxers. All that pain he has gone through, it's just like it never happened. No knife wounds or automail or anything." Al knew it was a bit random, but the realisation had still shocked him.

"I understand, Al," Winry said softly. "You're still adjusting. All of you."

"Yes, I guess we are."

"Oh, here's Granny, I'll give her to you. It was nice to hear from you again."

"You too, Winry, see you soon."

"Hello, Al," Granny suddenly said after a few noises indicating that the phone was transferring hands. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Ed just wants to say goodbye to Mom and we thought we should call ahead to let you know we're coming … And to hear if it is still okay for us to stay with you?"

"Of course, Al, this is your home no matter how I may feel about Colonel Mustang."

"So it's okay that Riza stays too? And we've adopted a puppy…"

"You certainly have been busy… I guess Lieutenant Hawkeye will have to share with Winry. And Den won't mind a playmate for a few days."

"Thank you, Granny. I know this isn't easy for you either."

"I guess we'll just have to get by like we always do. Besides, I've been wanting to have a word with your father."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter thirty-five**

Roy could tell that Ed felt odd as soon as they stepped down onto the platform in Resembool. Ed was looking about him everywhere, taking in the changes to his own memories.

They had a few awkward conversations on the way over to the Rockbells because there were plenty of people who recognised Ed and wanted to know what had happened to him. Ed was an odd contrast to Rolf, because even though they both walked slowly and stopped after just a few metres, Ed was clearly filled with a kind of sad horror while the dog was as happy as could be, taking in the new surroundings with excitement.

They reached the yellow house on top of the hill that Roy still remembered striding up towards, although this time he wasn't furious and horrified. This time he was scared of an old lady that didn't even reach his navel. It was odd to think how things had changed in just four years.

Last time he was here, he had pulled an eleven-year-old boy who had just lost two of his limbs out off his wheelchair and yelled at him. Roy had to say that it was probably a rather unusual way to start an adoption process…

Then the dog, Den, came running towards them, barking, suddenly pausing a metre away from Ed. Roy had never seen a confused dog before, but this one certainly was.

Then Rolf started yapping and went over to Den to say hello.

The front door was opened and Pinako walked out onto the front steps, taking them in. She puffed her pipe with a smile at the boys.

"Hey, Granny!" Ed said, walking over to her and giving her a hug. Taking Ed's lead, the rest of them followed him inside, Hawkeye taking the energetic puppy with her on his leash.

Once inside the large house, Ed paused, looking about him. He went over to the wall that was covered with photographs. Roy and Al went over to him to lend him some emotional support. "We grew up…" was all Ed said, taking in the many pictures of him at different ages. His eyes fell upon a picture of the three kids, Pinako and a smiling woman Roy guessed was Trisha Elric. She was pretty and definitely kind, it practically shone in her eyes. "Mom…" Ed said, tears welling in his eyes. Roy put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "That was last year…" Ed suddenly turned towards Pinako. "Can I keep it?"

The old lady smiled at him. "Of course, Ed."

"Thanks." Ed then turned to Roy. "Daddy? Can you keep it safe in your wallet for me with the other ones?"

Roy couldn't say no to that face and nodded. "Of course, Ed." And so Roy took down the picture in question and then put it in his wallet.

Ed then hugged Roy's leg. "Thanks, Daddy!"

Roy ruffled his hair with a smile.

Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs and Winry appeared. "I thought I heard someone coming!" She then went over to the boys and said hello to Alphonse before she settled on kneeling down and hugging Ed. Ed looked confused and grumpy at being greeted this way and tried pushing her away. "Get off, Winry!"

The blonde let him loose and stood up to greet Roy and Hawkeye. "Hello, Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Riza." She bowed slightly to them both.

Roy was a bit lost as to what he should say or do. He wasn't here as an officer, he was here as Ed and Al's father. Should he call her Winry? Tell her that she could just call him Roy? Or would that just thoroughly piss off Pinako and Roy would mess things up with the Rockbells even more than he already had? They had a strong reason to hate him after all.

Hawkeye was thankfully on better terms with Winry than he was, and shook the young girl's hand with a smile. "It's good to see you again, Winry."

And so Roy turned to Pinako instead. "Thank you for letting us stay."

Pinako grunted a bit which didn't really give a clear sign as to what she thought of the matter.

"Oh, Granny! You know what?!" Ed said eagerly.

Pinako shifted her attention to Ed and her expression softened slightly. "No, Ed, but it certainly has you happy."

"I'm an Elric-Mustang now! With a hyphen!" Ed grinned.

Roy had a feeling that Pinako was not as happy as she pretended to be. "So I guess you have something from both of your parents now."

"Yes!"

"Well, Ed, I guess you want to get to know the house again, it has undergone some changes these last few years, why don't you and Al go check it out while Winry shows the Lieutenant where she'll be sleeping?"

"What about Daddy?" Ed asked.

"He is going to help me prepare dinner."

Roy gulped, but pretended like it was nothing. "Of course."

And so the others disappeared, leaving Roy alone with Pinako. "Come with me, Colonel Mustang."

Roy didn't dare refuse her. He needed to make this work out somehow. He watched in silence as she handed him a knife and an onion and set him to work. The silence made the atmosphere even tenser than before.

"So he's taken your name, huh," Pinako said after a few moments of tense silence as Roy cut the onion into small pieces. "And they both call you their father now too."

"Yes. I know you don't like me or my choices, but I'd like for us to at least reach a kind of truce for the boys's sake. I do not wish to force them away from you, they were your family first and I am not going to try to change that."

"You know, Colonel Mustang, I still haven't forgiven you for what happened to that boy. He was your responsibility and he got to suffer for it." Her tone was sharp, giving Roy a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I know. And I won't ever forgive myself for that. I've failed those boys. Why they still trust me, I have no idea." Roy felt his stomach twist painfully at the mental pictures of Fullmetal tied to that chair, quite possibly screaming, only to be replaced by the crying boy that was Ed, him too shrieking with pain and fear. That was Roy's fault, even if Ed didn't think so. If Roy had only got off his ass and joined Havoc and Breda as they escorted Fullmetal, then things would probably be different.

But then he wouldn't have the boys now, and that thought hurt too. It made him feel despicable and selfish, but it was still there.

"You know why? Because they're good kids. They looked up to you, even Ed, and because they are so much like their mother, they still do. _I don't_. You're the military dog who took my grandsons away and introduced them to a world of horror and blood and pain. So you tell me, Colonel Mustang, why should I trust you now?"

Roy didn't know what to say. She was completely right. He should have thought this through before coming here. He didn't have a good reason for why she should entrust them to him. He had destroyed their lives. So why did he keep them? Why did he keep selfishly holding on to them when they would probably be better off without him?

"Because I love them." The words had escaped his lips before he even knew they had. But they were true.

The old woman was silent for a few minutes. "I guess I ought to call you Roy from now on, then. Which makes me Pinako to you."

"So what you're saying is that it's okay that I am their father now?"

"I'm saying that I'm giving you a chance because despite the mistakes you've made, the boys are also happier now than they have been in years and you haven't just adopted them: they've adopted you too. So I'll give you an opportunity to show me their father instead of Ed's commanding officer."

"Thank you, Pinako."

The woman just puffed her pipe.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter thirty-six**

Roy lay down in the bed and Ed followed, snuggling up to Roy as he pulled the duvet over them both. It was an odd thing, this. When Roy had taken the boys in, he had in a way been quite selfish, not considering that they had family from before and that they wouldn't necessarily be too happy about him.

Not that it would matter compared to what the boys thought of him. As long as they wanted him in their lives, then Roy was going to be there. He just wanted the boys to be happy. Happy and safe and healthy. That was Roy's first priority these days.

Things had certainly changed. He was actually a father. It was still odd to think about. He had _adopted_ the Elric brothers. They were his _sons._

And it scared him senseless in a way.

He hugged Ed tighter to him, earning a few satisfied grunts from the sleepy boy. It may be scary, but it also felt good. Because they were _his_.

There were suddenly a couple of knocks on the door.

"Yes?" Roy asked.

"Hey, Dad? Can I come in for a second?" It was Alphonse.

"Of course," Roy said softly.

The door was opened and Alphonse came inside, gently closing the door behind him. Roy sat himself up, Ed immediately crawling up on his lap. Roy put his arms around him as he looked up expectantly at Al. "Is something wrong, Al?"

"No, I just wanted to discuss something with you…" Al walked over to the desk and dragged a chair over to the edge of the bed and sat down. "I've been thinking about it a lot, and I'd like to change my name too."

"With a hyphen?" Ed asked excitedly. He seemed to be very particular about that.

Roy, however, was a bit stunned. It hadn't been that long since the last time they talked about it, and now Al was just coming here, telling him that he wanted to take his name, just like that.

"Yes, Brother," Al chuckled, "with a hyphen."

"Are you sure, Al?" Roy said. "You know that there's a lot associated with that name and lots of that isn't good… carrying that name could turn out to be a burden."

Alphonse reached out his hand and placed it on Roy's shoulder. "I know that, Dad, but it's like Brother says: it shows that we belong to you too. And I'm proud of that. Despite whatever bad things you have done, you are also the man who decided to turn his life on its head for the two of us. You took us in and you're postponing your career and your plans for the future just so I can get my body back. You were the one who decided that we were more important than your own dreams. I'm proud to have a Dad like that and I want to show it."

"Alphonse, it was the least I could do. If I had been a better CO, then you wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. Yet you boys trust me to be your father and I spend my days feeling happier than I have in years. Taking you boys in has been a blessing, not a burden."

"Hohenheim doesn't think so. That's why we love you, Daddy. You care more about us than yourself," Ed said sweetly, hugging Roy's right arm.

"Which is exactly why I punched him," Roy muttered angrily.

"You're kind of proving our point," Al said, squeezing his shoulder gently.

"You're ganging up on me! Taking you two in doesn't make me a good person. I am the one who should be thanking _you_! You two are giving me a hell of a lot that I don't deserve, and you thank _me_? You're not a burden, boys." Roy said the last part sternly. "This may have started as a promise, but it's become a privilege." Roy placed his left hand on top of Al's while hugging Ed with his right. "I want you two to know that."

"Then I want you to call the Führer tomorrow and tell him to change my name," Al said. "I mean it, Dad, it's not a burden to carry your name either."

"I'm proof!" Ed said happily.

Al chuckled and tousled Ed's hair with his free hand.

"Thank you, boys. You don't know what that means to me," Roy said, smiling.

Ed then turned abruptly around and slid his hands under Roy's undershirt and began tickling him, giggling loudly. "C'mon, Al! Help me!" Ed said while Roy was breathless with laughter, focusing all his remaining power upon not hitting Ed as he fell on his back, twisting and giggling and wheezing as Ed exposed his stomach.

Then Al joined in, chuckling too and Roy began making a very odd set of noises, not many of them particularly masculine. Some of them made him sound like different types of seabird, all the while testifying to his helplessness.

* * *

Riza sat in the guest bed that had been moved into Winry's room as the laughter began.

At least she thought it was laughter.

Winry was looking at her questioningly from her own bed. "Is that Colonel Mustang?" she whispered.

"Yes." Riza didn't see any point in lying to her. They were only separated from the guest room by a wall that clearly didn't block out his cries of laughter. "I think Ed is tickling him again."

Winry looked a bit awkward at that, especially when Ed began chanting loudly "Ticklemonster Jr.! Ticklemonster Jr.!"

"Does that happen often?" Winry asked.

"A few times. It seems that Edward is fashioning himself as "Ticklemonster Jr." as the Colonel is the "Ticklemonster."

"Uh-huh…"

The Colonel uttered a few more high-pitched guffaws and Winry just stared at Riza before they both burst into silent giggles. Riza may be very professional about her job, but those sounds were frankly ridiculous.

"I don't think I can face him tomorrow after that," Winry said between giggles.

And so they just sat there, snickering until the laughter died down from the room next door ten minutes later. Winry looked at her a bit awkwardly. "Uh, Riza, is it okay if I ask you something?"

Riza smiled at her. "Of course, Winry."

"What's he like? The Colonel, I mean? He has always seemed so stern and calculating. But now… it's like he's an entirely different person when he's with Ed and Al."

"That's because he doesn't have to think about careers or how people think of him when he's with them. He has made it his first priority to take care of those boys and make them happy. And it seems that he also has gained something valuable from that."

"Oh. So he's just Roy Mustang when he's with them, if you get what I mean?"

"In a way, yes."

Winry was silent for a little while, her head bent forwards. "They sent us Ed's old limbs last week… I still don't know what to do with them. I-I worked so hard on them to make him the best automail he could get, but now…" A tear fell into her lap. "It was my way of helping them reach their goal, but now they don't need it anymore. They don't need _me_ anymore… I've seen the way Ed looks at me and it's clear that I only cause him pain because I remind him of what happened to him…" tears were falling steadily now and her speech was choked. "And I miss him… It's so weird, because he was here a few months ago so he'd probably be coming in for maintenance about now… But everything has changed… They've got a father and they're still happier than they've been in years despite what happened to Ed… And it makes me both happy and sad at the same time…"

"I know how you feel. I think that's how it is for everyone who knew him."

Winry just cried as silently as she could and Riza came over and hugged her, holding her until she fell asleep and then tucked her in before returning to her own bed.

She woke up as the shouts began.

"NO! GET AWAY! PLEASE!" Ed yelled from the guest room. "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME ANYMORE! I JUST WANNA GO HOME! NO! IT HURTS! STOP IT! **PLEASE!**"

Winry had already turned on the lamp on the nightstand, looking absolutely horrified. "That's Ed!" She got out of bed, moving towards the door, but Riza stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"The Colonel is waking him up as we speak. He is having a nightmare about the Pentons and bursting into the room won't do him any good. His father is the best source of comfort he has when he dreams like this."

Winry looked at her with tears in her eyes as the shouts came through the wall. "What did they do to him?"

"They tied him up and tortured him by injecting him with different substances, sometimes seeking to punish bad behaviour. They did so at least thirty times during those four days that he was conscious, all the while feeding him through an IV."

"He never told us that it was that bad. He made it sound like maybe five…" Winry said tearfully. "How could they do that to him?"

The shouts were going away and were being replaced by sobs, meaning that Ed was awake. "I don't know, Winry, I really don't."

Riza knew, however, that the Colonel had broken four of Grant Penton's ribs.

Although the fifth had been by Riza's boot.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter thirty-seven**

Ed woke up lying on Daddy's chest. Ed had been having a lot of bad dreams tonight. He'd been thinking about what Grant and Lillian did the last few days. And now they were back home, but was it home anymore? The old Ed had had a home here, but this wasn't _his _home. Ed wasn't a part of this anymore. The home he'd known had changed a lot in ten years.

He didn't fit in here anymore.

Mom was gone, their house was gone.

All the new things didn't belong to him. They belonged to the old Ed, and Ed wasn't him.

Home wasn't here anymore. It was with Daddy and Al in East City. They had a family here, but Ed had a new home.

Which was why he needed to say goodbye to Mom and tell her that they had found a Daddy who loved them and would protect them. He needed Mom to know that they were okay. That they were going to be fine. To tell her that they had a home. Al had told him that Mom had said that as she lay in bed. She had been having a fever and she talked about wanting them to have a home and be happy.

Well, now they did and they were.

Besides, Mom should meet Daddy. She would probably like him, even if he was younger than her. It wouldn't matter as long as he was a good Daddy, and he was the best.

And so Ed looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was eight in the morning. Ed had to pee so he slid off Daddy and down on the floor before he opened the bedroom door and went over to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet. Suddenly the door was opened and Winry came inside, looking very sleepy. She walked over to the bathtub and threw off her nightie so that she was only standing in her underwear as she began filling the tub with water.

"Morning, Winry!" Ed said.

"**GYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!**"

* * *

Roy woke up with a start as he heard the scream. He grabbed the ignition gloves on the nightstand and ran for the room where the sound had come from. It didn't help that Ed was gone either. What if someone had followed them here and was attacking them?

Roy kicked open the door just as Hawkeye arrived with her gun at the ready.

And found Ed sitting on the toilet with an alarmed look on his face while Winry stood in front of the bathtub in only a pair of light pink knickers and was holding her hands over her naked breasts, staring at the room's two new arrivals and, more importantly, Hawkeye's gun.

Roy froze, thoroughly embarrassed. He turned towards Ed instead as he lowered his hand. "I take it this means that we aren't under attack?" he said awkwardly.

"Uh-huh."

The water was still filling into the bathtub and Roy felt slightly awkward at the fact that he couldn't really force either of the kids out of the bathroom as Ed was sitting with a piece of unused toilet paper in his hand, looking curiously up at him.

Hawkeye moved with a "here, Winry," probably meaning that Winry was getting covered up. Roy heard the two girls leave behind him and Ed looked up at him. "Can I dry myself now?"

"Yes, you do that, Ed."

And so Ed did and then used the little stool for Pinako to wash his hands. Ed dried them on the towel next to the sink and grinned. "All done!" He lifted his hands into the air and Roy picked him up and carried him back into the bedroom.

Roy felt awkward. He had burst into the bathroom in only his boxers and undershirt and nearly torched a good as naked Winry Rockbell.

Pinako was giving him _one_ chance to prove his worth and he nearly incinerates her granddaughter the next morning.

While she was _naked_.

"Daddy? Why did Winry scream like that?" Ed asked as Roy propped the pillows up against the headboard. Roy leaned back against them and Ed crawled over to him and sat himself up on his lap, facing him.

Roy sighed. "As people grow older, they get more particular about nakedness. You probably scared her by being in the bathroom, which is why it's important that you learn to lock the door when you share a house with other people."

"Oh, sorry. I just wished her good morning when she came in."

_God, this kid is sweet._

Roy sighed and drew Ed in for a hug.

"Why are you blushing, Daddy?"

_Because our hosts may think that your Daddy is a pervert…_

Roy would have to apologise later or explain it or something. Hawkeye would probably do the explanation right now, so that left the apology for him. If Fullmetal had gone and told the Rockbells too that Roy was a womanising bastard, then he was probably in deep trouble.

And then there was explaining it to Pinako once she and Alphonse returned from buying fresh eggs for breakfast. She had told them last night that she'd be going at about this hour. Winry was probably going to react awkwardly around him so he'd better explain it right away.

"Because I kicked in the door and wore my ignition gloves and scared Winry because my son was sitting on the toilet."

Ed seemed to think about it and then he began giggling.

It was an hour later that Pinako called up the stairs to tell them that breakfast was ready.

And of course Roy and Ed met Winry in the hallway. She looked at him and blushed. Roy told Ed to go ahead so that they could talk alone.

"Uh, listen, Winry, I'm sorry about earlier, I wasn't as close to burning you as it may have seemed…" Roy said awkwardly. "And I'm no peeping Tom either. I don't know if Hawkeye told you, but we were attacked in Dublith by Lillian herself and I didn't think about which door it was the shrieks were coming from. I wasn't trying anything other than making sure that people were safe."

"Oh, I wasn't even thinking about something like that…" Her face reddened even more. It seemed that now that Roy had said it though, that she got a bit afraid that it was exactly what it was.

"Good. Teenage girls generally tend to think that way when strange men twice their age breaks in the bathroom door while they're getting ready to take a bath… But I'm not that type of man, I assure you."

"So what Ed used to say about you being a womaniser…?"

"Women within my age group. And certainly ones that are over eighteen who give their consent. _Not_ minors who happen to have the world's scariest grandmother."

Winry suddenly began giggling. "You're scared of Granny?"

"I think I am… besides, you know Hawkeye, if she thought I was that type of bastard, do you really think she'd agree to be my assistant?"

Winry smiled at that. "She'd have shot you long ago, wouldn't she?" She then whispered confidentially. "And most likely just for flirting with anyone else than her…" she teased.

It was Roy's turn to blush. "Don't let her hear you say that."

_"__So you **do** like her?_" Winry whispered, eyes wide.

"That's a complicated matter. We have known each other for a long time and we are not …"

"You just keep on trying to convince yourself about that, Roy." Winry teased him. "Meanwhile, I'd like some breakfast."

She turned around and headed for the stairs and whispered, "_Maybe Riza would like to meet the Ticklemonster…_"

"HEY!"


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter thirty-eight**

Ed felt sad. Daddy was holding his right hand in his left as they walked inside the graveyard. In his left, he was holding a large bouquet of flowers. Ed stopped and so did Daddy. "You need to wait here. I have to introduce you first, otherwise she may be scared."

Daddy nodded and so Ed followed Al over to the gravestone marked "Trisha Elric". Ed felt a deep pain in his chest at seeing it and he walked over and put down the flowers before he sat down and pulled his knees up to his chest. It was a sunny day and it was dry and warm, so Ed was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. "Hi, Mom. As you can see, something happened to me. I got kidnapped and two bad people turned me back into this. B-but I don't remember you getting sick or dying. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, but I just needed to get ready first. I lost ten years, you see. But don't worry, I'm still Al's big brother and I take care of him. But we have some news, because we have found someone to take care of us both now too."

Ed smiled even though he had tears running down his cheeks. "He's a really nice man and I used to work for him. He's in the military and a Colonel, but he's a great man! He pushed everything aside to help us get Al's body back and he took us in and now he's adopted us too! He's the best Daddy in the world! I know you loved Hohenheim, but we met him and he didn't want us now either. But you know what, Mom? Daddy _punched_ him! He punched him because he was so angry with him for abandoning us! Because our Daddy cares about us a lot! He's kind and smart and he loves us so much! Oh, I forgot to tell you his name! It's Roy Mustang! And I've taken his name too, and Al is getting the name as well now, so it's Elric-Mustang now! With a hyphen!" Ed spoke excitedly. He wanted to show Mom just how good Daddy was so that she didn't have to worry about them anymore.

"I'll introduce you! Daddy! Come over here!" Ed waved him over and he walked up to them. Daddy wasn't wearing his uniform today because he was afraid of Granny and she didn't like it, so he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Auntie Riza was wearing a pretty light blue dress and a white jacket and Ed would introduce her too soon, but she would have to wait right now so that Mom didn't get scared.

Daddy came over and stood next to Ed. "Okay, Mom! This is Daddy! He's a State Alchemist like I used to be and he's teaching me! He's the Flame Alchemist and he can control the air and create flames with a snap! He's really good at it! And he's learnt to make your stew now too! So Daddy: say hello!"

Daddy nodded towards the grave and smiled at it. "Hello, Miss Elric. I'm Roy Mustang and I am deeply honoured to be raising your boys. They are wonderful people and I will do my very best to raise them right."

"Come on, Daddy, sit down here next to me!" Ed patted the grass next to him. Ed knew that Mom liked Daddy after he said all that. Daddy did as he was told and sat down next to him, putting an arm around Ed's shoulders. Ed still had some tears running down his face, but that was because he was saying goodbye to Mom after all. He was telling her that she didn't have to worry about them anymore. It was important that she knew that.

"So, Mom, I'm gonna tell you what's happened these last weeks! You see, I first met Daddy when he came and saved me from Lillian and Grant, those bad people I told you about. He was really angry because he thought they had killed me. But they hadn't. Everyone was really sad in the beginning because they were reminded of the old me, but like Daddy says: sometimes you have to be sad so you can be happy later. I'm still sad about you and not remembering the last ten years of my life and losing so many memories of Al. But I can be happy even so. I still have Al and I have Daddy too! So we went to Central and talked to the Führer himself and he assigned Daddy to be our guardian! And there we also met Uncle Maes who is Daddy's best friend and a really scary guy who hugs a lot who's called Major Armstrong. After that, we went to Dublith in the South to meet our old alchemy teacher and her husband, although I don't remember them because that happened when I was eight. Auntie Riza, who is Daddy's assistant, joined us then too. We then went to this crazy town in the East to look for a Philosopher's Stone, but it was fake so we went to East City and lived at Daddy's house for a little while. He's got a large library in his basement, so that's really fun! That's when Daddy adopted us! Then we went to Central again and visited Daddy's auntie who's also his adoptive mother, so she's our Grandma! She looks and sounds really mean, but she's actually nice. And we went to the beach and I got a gigantic inflatable turtle! His name is Robert. And I also have six rubber duckies! And we have a puppy now! His name is Rolf. He's really cute and nice and cuddly. And I also went to my first ball and I got a really fancy suit. It was the military ball. I ate lots and lots of ice cream! Oh, and Mom! Did you know that there's power in ice cream? Auntie Riza told me that! You should meet her! Hey! Auntie Riza!" Ed waved her over to them. She walked over with Rolf who immediately sat down at her command. "Mom, meet Riza Hawkeye! She's a First Lieutenant and she's really good at shooting. But she's also a really nice woman."

Auntie Riza nodded. "Hello, Miss Elric."

Ed patted the ground with his hand and Rolf walked over and sat down after looking at Auntie Riza to check if it was okay. Ed began scratching his back. "And this is Rolf!"

Ed was quiet for a minute so that Mom could get some time to take in all that he had told her. Rolf lay down and clearly enjoyed the scratching.

"So Mom, as you can see: we'll be all right and when we get Al back in his body, then we're gonna settle down and then Daddy is gonna save the country! So now that you know all that, I can say goodbye to you and you can know that we'll be fine. Al told me that that is what you wished for the most. So goodbye, Mom, and I love you. And I miss you. I hope you're happy now."

Ed then felt a lot of tears forming and then he couldn't stop the sobbing because Mom really wasn't there anymore and she'd been dead for so long and it just hurt.

And so Daddy just put his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

* * *

Roy carried Ed back with him once the boy said that it was okay. Ed cried against his shoulder all the way back to the house. Pinako just nodded at them as they came inside and Roy went over to the living room and sat down in one of the comfy chairs with Ed on his lap. He slowly stroked his back while keeping his left hand on the back of Ed's head.

"It hurts. Mom's gone and it hurts so much! It's all just gone, Daddy! Everything is just gone! Ten years! It doesn't feel real! Everything is different!" Ed clutched the front of Roy's shirt in his small hands as he sobbed. "It hurts, Daddy…"

Roy pressed his lips against the top of his head. "I know, Ed. But we'll get through it somehow and we'll get Al his body back. We'll make the best of it."

"I didn't tell her the scary and bad things because she would worry. I miss her, Daddy. She was just there. I made her a horse and she was so happy and then Lillian was there instead. And it was ten years ago! How?!"

Roy really didn't know what to say. Ed knew the answer as well as he did, so that wouldn't help. And so he just let Ed sob because he clearly needed to right now.

What Roy could offer his son, was a long, warm embrace.

And so he did.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter thirty-nine**

_Ed was lying in bed next to Daddy, hugging him tightly. The big, strong arms around him were holding him tightly, keeping him safe. This was good and nice and warm and Ed loved Daddy so much. And Daddy loved him so much too._

_"__So how about we take it all away?"_

_Ed froze. Daddy had spoken, but it wasn't his voice. It was the Roy-thing's voice. Ed tried to get away, but the arms just tightened around him, not letting him go as it crackled with red energy and transformed into the old Ed. One of the arms was now automail and the coldness burned across Ed's back. _

_"__Hello, Ed! Let's give you back to Lillian. You're hers now, after all… She made you this way, so it's only fair that she gets something back for her hard efforts, right? It's just an Equivalent Exchange…" The Roy-thing said, speaking like the old Ed as he sat up, lifting Ed while holding him close to his chest._

_"__NO! I'M NOT HERS! PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME BACK THERE! __**PLEASE!**__"_

_"__Your opinion really doesn't matter, you know…" the Roy-thing said, carrying Ed away. Ed couldn't see where he was being taken and it held him close to its chest, the black tank top pressed against his face._

_Ed kept screaming at it, trying to make it release him, but it wouldn't. _

_Then suddenly it was pushing him down on a chair and tying him to it, binding his wrists and feet. Ed screamed. Then his pyjamas were gone and he was sitting in only his boxers._

_"__See, Ed? You're back home!" The Roy-thing said, grinning. It transformed itself to look like Daddy again. "Say goodbye to Daddy, Edward!" it said, speaking with Daddy's voice._

_"__Because now you're getting a Mummy instead!" It was Lillian's voice. Next second, a pair of hands were placed on his shoulders._

_Ed began sobbing. It was happening again! She was gonna stick him with the needles until he wasn't him anymore. And they would hurt and burn and she would just call herself his mother as she hurt him and Ed couldn't get loose._

_Lillian leaned down and kissed the top of his head before she slipped her arms around him and hugged him. "Oh, Edward, dear! How Mummy has missed you! She has been so worried!" She then kissed his cheek too. "But now we're together again and I'll never let you go! You are Mummy's precious little boy after all!"_

_"__I'M NOT! I'VE SEEN MOM AND YOU'RE NOT HER! YOU WON'T EVER BE!"_

_"__Oh, but, Ed, you're just not understanding this. She wasn't your true Mum, she didn't want you like I do. You and me are going to be so happy, you just need to be prepared first."_

_Ed felt his stomach twist. "NO! MOM WOULD NEVER HURT ME!" he tried as he sobbed._

_Lillian just kept hugging him. "But Edward, I'm not hurting you. I'm preparing you. You're not done yet. However, you have been a very naughty boy, running away like that. Grant was your Daddy and you let Mustang and his friends kill him. That was very bad of you. And you know what happens to bad boys, don't you?"_

_"__NO! PLEASE! __**PLEASE!**__" Ed began struggling against the ropes binding his wrists and feet, but he couldn't get loose. They were too tight._

_Lillian pulled out of the hug and pushed Ed's head forwards as he screamed. "__**DADDY! HELP!**__"_

_"__He's not your Daddy, Edward."_

_Then Ed felt the needle being plunged into his neck and he shrieked. Pain began spreading and his whole body was on fire and __**it hurt**__. It hurt and hurt and hurt! "__**DADDYYYYYY!**__" _

_And Lillian was just stroking his hair, shushing him. "You'll be done soon, my son. We'll be together soon."_

_Ed screamed._

"Edward!"

Ed opened his eyes. Daddy was looking at him, looking scared.

Ed began sobbing and Daddy sat up, pulling him into his chest so that Ed was leaning into his left shoulder. Ed just kept sobbing, clutching his undershirt, holding onto the safety of Daddy. He breathed in the smell and the warmth. People didn't have smells in his dreams, so knowing that Daddy had his meant that he was safe. It was warm and safe and Daddy was going to protect him from Lillian and the Roy-thing and all the bad people in the world.

Ed just wept as Daddy pressed his lips against the top of his head.

Ed knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. Fear was still making his stomach twist and he was both hot and cold at the same time. "Can we go downstairs?" Ed asked.

Daddy turned on the lamp on the nightstand. "Of course, Ed. Maybe Rolf would like you to give him a little midnight belly scratch?"

Ed sniffled. "Maybe."

Daddy carried him out into the hallway and over to the top of the stairs, just as another door was opened further down the hall.

"Is everything all right?" Granny asked. "Do you need some help?"

Ed just kept clutching Daddy's undershirt as the tears kept streaming down his face.

"Pinako, you wouldn't happen to have the ingredients for making some cocoa, would you?" Daddy asked. "It's what we usually do when they're like this."

Ed couldn't stop himself from crying, because even though he knew he was here with Daddy, he was still scared and he could still hear Lillian's voice as she kept telling him that he was hers.

"Of course, I'll help you make some," Granny said.

"Thank you, Pinako."

Daddy carried him downstairs and into the kitchen. Daddy sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and Ed just sat on his lap, hugging him.

* * *

Roy held Ed close, watching the old woman start to prepare the cocoa. Pinako was wearing a pale green dressing gown and red slippers and Roy was painfully aware that he was sitting there in only his boxers and undershirt. He felt awkward.

And as Roy did these days when he didn't know exactly how to react in a situation, he based his actions on what was best for his boys.

Which meant that he just sat there, stroking Ed's back while hugging him tightly.

"Does this happen often?" Pinako said, looking at Ed who was still crying against his chest.

"Not as much as they used to, it's getting better little by little."

"Can I have a cookie?" Ed asked, sniffing.

Pinako went over to the box in one of the cupboards and pulled out a large chocolate chip cookie. She went over to them and gave it to Ed. "Here, Ed, but only one, it's not good for you to have too many."

Ed took it and Roy used his undershirt to dry Ed's face before the boy ate the cookie. "Thanks, Granny."

"I hope you're feeding him a healthy diet, Roy, he always seems to get sweets when you're around," Pinako said sternly.

"Trust me, I do. I'm an officer used to field duty and that means being in tip top shape if you want to keep people safe. Ed is a very good boy and eats all his vegetables, and ketchup is not one of them."

"Mhm… I only get ice cream and cocoa when things are really bad or when I have been a really good boy," Ed said as he slowly devoured his cookie.

Roy couldn't help but notice that Ed had in his dishevelled state not thought about the fact that chocolate melted, so his cheeks and hands were covered with crumbs and melted chocolate. Roy sighed and headed for the downstairs bathroom. "Let's get you cleaned up, Ed." And so Roy placed Ed next to the sink and got a washcloth from one of the shelves and wetted it before he set to work. Ed had cheered up considerably from the cookie, and giggled as Roy scrubbed his face and hands with the washcloth.

"I love you, Daddy."

Roy pulled him in for a tight hug. "And I love you too, Ed. So, so much."

Roy carried Ed back into the kitchen just as Al opened the front door. "Oh, hi, Dad!"

"Hello, Al, how's the night sky?" Al had told him yesterday that he liked spending the clear nights outside, looking at the stars.

"Really pretty."

"Can we go look too, Daddy?" Ed asked.

"Of course, Ed. We can take the cocoa outside if you want together with some blankets."

And so they did, Pinako scrutinising his every move.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter forty**

Ed walked into the living room to find Granny sorting wires. Daddy was asleep upstairs and Ed would let him. He had stayed up with Ed for a long time and he didn't take naps in the middle of the day. "Hi, Granny!" Ed said, looking up at her where she sat.

"Oh, hi, Edward. Did you get some sleep?"

Ed nodded. "Mhm. Daddy's still asleep. Where's Al?"

"He went on a walk with Den and Rolf together with Riza. I guess they'll be back in an hour. I can fry you an egg if you're hungry."

Ed grinned. "Yes, please! And with cheese and ham and on top of a slice of bread! And can I please have two? Otherwise I just get hungry again."

Granny looked at him curiously. "Isn't that an awful lot of food though?"

"Don't know. I always eat more than Daddy, but I just get hungry otherwise. And Daddy says it's fine because I don't put on any extra weight. He thinks that my metabolism is a bit different after what happened. Al says I eat nearly as much as I did when I was fifteen."

"You do, huh? But you feel fine otherwise?" Granny looked concerned as she slid off the stool she was sitting on.

"Uh-huh."

"Hm." She walked to the kitchen and Ed followed her. Once inside, Ed went over to one of the kitchen chairs and climbed up. He watched Granny as she began preparing the food. "Granny? Why don't you like Daddy? Is it because he has killed people?"

"That is a very complicated matter, Ed. But, yes, that is part of it."

Ed felt sad at that. "You know, that's not nice of you. Daddy only stays in the military so that he can make this country better. That's all he wanted."

"That may be, Edward, but it still doesn't change what he's done."

"That's why he has nightmares too."

Granny turned around and looked at him sternly. "He does, huh?"

Ed nodded. "He cries in his sleep and calls himself a monster. He didn't want us to take his name because he thinks it's a burden. I don't think he feels like he deserves anything or anyone. Monsters don't think like that. Ticklemonsters do. Daddy's gonna give Ishbal back to the Ishbalans and he's gonna make this country a democracy and that is why he stays in the military."

Granny grunted. She did that a lot.

"You blame him for what happened to me, don't you?" Ed said, looking down. "It wasn't his fault! He tried to get me safe! He just didn't know that Lillian and Grant were military and working together!" Ed felt a few tears run down his cheeks. "They were the ones who t-tortured me! Who didn't let me eat or drink or sleep! They are the ones that make me scream at night! Not Daddy!" Ed couldn't stop crying loudly now. He just wanted Granny to like Daddy because Ed wanted to have both his families together and Granny and Winry were the only ones left of his old one besides Al.

Granny moved over and tried to hug him, but Ed didn't want a hug, he wanted to make his life fit together! He pushed Granny back. "I don't want a hug! I want you to get along with Daddy because I don't wanna choose between you!" Ed said.

"What's going on?" Ed heard Daddy say all of a sudden. He had come downstairs without Ed knowing it.

Ed was crying and angry at the same time, because it had been five days and Granny still didn't like Daddy. "WHY WON'T YOU JUST LIKE EACH OTHER?!" Ed shouted. Ed was stressed because if they didn't get along, then that parted his old life from his new one completely. Ed felt so pressured by the fact that everything and everyone had changed.

…And that Ed didn't belong here anymore even if Granny and Winry loved him.

Because he didn't belong with the old parts of his life, because they had grown up together with the old Ed and just like Ed, they couldn't change back.

Ed didn't fit.

And it was crushing him all the time.

And so Ed just jumped off his chair and ran out the kitchen door. "I'LL BE BY THE HOUSE!" Then he ran out the front door and towards the burnt ruins of his old house, his tears flying around him.

* * *

Roy immediately turned to run after Ed, but the old woman grabbed his wrist and held him back. "He doesn't want to see us before we've sorted things out."

"That doesn't matter! I'm his father and his bodyguard!" Roy said, panicking slightly. "AND HE JUST RAN OFF WITHOUT HIS SHOES ON! HE CAN GET CUTS AND FALL OR BREAK HIS LEG OR HAVE A STRANGER HUNT HIM DOWN AND KILL HIM! NOW LET GO OF ME OR I SWEAR I WILL HIT YOU!"

"Then we go after him and follow him at a distance. We're in the countryside after all, it's a lot more peaceful than the life you're used to." The woman spoke grumpily and then moved to walk past him, but Roy was quicker than her. Soon he had slipped his naked feet into his shoes and was running for the ruins of the Elric house, Ed's shoes in his hand.

And so Roy caught up to Ed one third of the way over to the burned down house and called out for him. "Edward! Stop, we'll talk, but don't run off like that!" Roy put his hand on Ed's shoulder, making him stop as he could no longer keep running.

Roy turned him around and saw the tearful fury of his son. Ed was sobbing. Roy kneeled down, stones digging into his knees as he was only wearing his boxers and undershirt. "Ed, please, you have to stop running off. I'm both your father and your bodyguard, which means that you scare the hell out of me every time you do that times double." Roy put the shoes down on the ground beside him.

Ed looked at him slightly angrily, but then he just threw himself at Roy and slung his arms around his neck. "I just want you to be friends! I need you to! I don't fit otherwise!"

Roy had noticed the inner turmoil the boy was going through these days, especially as it worsened his nightmares considerably. It made Roy relieved that they'd be going home to East City tomorrow so that Ed could hopefully be relieved of the constant tension. It was a rather good thing that the Rockbells were getting a new customer in tomorrow night who was going to get his automail surgery.

"Everything's grown up without me, Daddy! I need new connections because the old ones were to the old Ed, but I'm not him! And Granny and Winry are my family, but they belong to the old Ed too so I need you too to belong!" Ed sobbed, his cheek pressed against Roy's. "I'm wrong, Daddy!"

Roy just held Ed tightly. "Ed, I'll talk with her, but I've done a lot of things that she may not be able to forgive. After all, I'm the one who came here and convinced you to join the military. And I've killed a lot of people. In a way I'm a criminal and if that is how she sees me, then she's allowed to."

"But you were ordered to, Daddy!" Ed cried. "You're not evil!"

"That's how you see me, Ed. What I've done will qualify as evil in many people's books. It's just how it is, Ed. I'm sorry, but this is what I've been talking about. The military and the civilian world are sometimes so different that it hurts."

Roy hated himself for this. Ed and Al didn't deserve to be dragged through the dirt like this. Ed was a pure and innocent child and Roy was filling his life with darkness, pain and cold shoulders.

_God, I am despicable. What right did I have to take them in? I'm a human weapon for god's sakes! I'm selfish and cruel and I shouldn't have done this because now I can't let them go. Once they get reacquainted with life outside the military, they are going to have to face the reality that their father is a mass murderer and what —_

Ed kissed his cheek. A simple, soft sign of affection. "I love you, Daddy," was all Ed said as he returned to the hug. "Because you're still the best Daddy in the world no matter what."

Roy felt so goddamn conflicted. He loved those boys to bits, but he didn't deserve them. Or their love. Was he really just hurting them in the long run?

But there was no way in hell that he would leave them. He'd live until he was a fucking hundred-and-fifty years old if that was what it took to keep that promise.

He just hated that the boys got stuck with him of all people. That they have ended up loving someone so undeserving of their love as himself. They finally have a father that they trust and love, and it's a damn dog of the military. The mass murderer who got them in this mess in the first place. But he knew that the boys gained something from him even so: they got a chance to get Al's body back and they got a father who loved them. And they needed one.

_It just shouldn't be me…_

But it was. And that meant that he would do all he could for his boys no matter what. They deserved at least that.

And so Roy squeezed Ed even tighter. "I love you so, so much too, because you two are the best sons in the world."

_So now I just have to make friends with the scary one metre lady…_


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter forty-one**

Roy carried Ed back with him to the house. Pinako was waiting for them by the front door, puffing her pipe. "Breakfast is on the table. Eat and then we'll talk."

And so Roy carried Ed into the kitchen where Ed refused to sit anywhere else than on Roy's lap. This resulted in another grunt from the old lady. Roy felt bad, he had adopted her grandchildren without giving her a heads up first. He had been marvelling in the joys of fatherhood too much to consider that he might even have turned Ed against her.

Once they were done eating, Roy looked down at Ed and turned him around to face him. "Okay, Ed, we're going to talk now, so I want you to go upstairs and sit with one of the books in my suitcase, okay?" Roy knew that letting Ed get consumed by a book was the best way to make sure that he didn't listen to Roy and Pinako arguing. Kids shouldn't have to listen to that and Roy had no idea how the conversation would turn out. For all he knew, Pinako may be so angry with him in the end that he would have to spend the night in a tent instead. Because Roy may be afraid of her, but if they didn't find things out, then Ed and Al both would just suffer, and Roy wasn't going to have any of that.

Ed looked up at him and nodded. "Okay, Daddy." Ed then sat up on his knees on Roy's lap and kissed his cheek before he slid off and went out of the kitchen. Pinako closed the kitchen door and looked at Roy with crossed arms.

"That boy really loves you, doesn't he?" she said, sighing.

"Not as much as I love him. Love them both. I just wish I'd seen it sooner while I still had Fullmetal."

"So you see them as two different boys?" Pinako sounded interested.

"Yes. Fullmetal was shaped by events that will never happen to Ed. Ed will grow up to be someone else. I've lost Fullmetal and I was too late to realise how I cared about him. I don't deserve to be the one raising Ed, but I'll do my best to do so all the same."

"That's the least you can do! I'll be blunt: you took my grandson away from me. I have heard the nightmares and they are because of what you let happen to him. The boy lost ten years of his life which also happen to be the ten most important years for him and his brother."

"Don't you think I know that?! Don't you think I know that I recruited a fucking kid and was piss-poor CO?! I've failed those boys so many times and I **damn well know it! Don't you think I feel like I'm being strangled all the time by the fact that I am the reason that Fullmetal is gone?! Don't you think I miss him like hell?! That I still wake up crying in the middle of the night because I dream about the kid?! That in my dreams he is crying and in pain and that fire in his eyes has gone out because of ****_me?!_**** I've lost count of how many times I've watched that kid die in my nightmares these last two months! And it hurts just as much every fucking time! It never gets better! NEVER!**" Roy had started out trying to keep his temper in check, but with just having heard his son's crying and knowing that he was hurting he didn't have a chance. "**I'M IN AGONY EVERY FUCKING SECOND AND IF I DIDN'T HAVE MY SONS THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED! THEY MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME! I KNOW I FUCKED UP! ****_I KNOW!_**** I KNOW I MADE THEIR LIVES A BLOODY MESS AND THAT THEY DESERVE SOMEONE A HELL OF A LOT BETTER THAN ME! I KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD NEVER HAVE GOT CLOSE TO ME BECAUSE THE RESULT IS THAT THEY GET BURNED LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I TOUCH! BUT THEY DID! THEY DID AND NOW I WON'T EVER LET THEM GO BECAUSE I LOVE THEM!** **I MAY BE A BASTARD, BUT I AM NOT A COWARD AND THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THAT I AM GOING TO LEAVE THEM LIKE THAT OTHER BASTARD DID! SO EITHER YOU THROW ME OUT LIKE I ACTUALLY DESERVE OR YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT ME BECAUSE I'M THEIR FATHER NOW!**"

Roy glared at the old woman, his previous fear of her forgotten. She looked at him just slightly taken aback.

She didn't say anything for half a minute where Roy was basically spending his time gripping the back of his chair while trying to calm himself down.

Then she made three coughing laughs and smirked ever so slightly. "Well, that is certainly a lot more than what I ever get out of Hohenheim."

"_Don't even compare me to that man…_" Roy hissed. "He didn't even know that Trisha Elric was dead!"

Her eyebrows shot up. "You met him?"

"A few weeks ago. In the middle of Central City Train Station of all places. He didn't know that it was Al in the armour and he wouldn't have known it was us at all if it hadn't been for Ed. Our conversation was short because Ed understandably ran off in tears," Roy stated coldly.

"So I take it he didn't say much, huh? That stupid, old fool."

Roy sighed heavily. "Listen: I know you don't like me or my actions and that Ed and Al were your grandsons long before I even met them. I know that you have every right to hate me and that I deserve it. But I also know that I'm their father and that they see me like that too. I will get Al's body back and I will try to raise them as best I can. I didn't ask for their love because I don't deserve it and I never will. It just happened. But I love them with every fibre of my being."

Pinako puffed her pipe again, clearly deep in thought. She waited for a while before speaking again. "We received his old limbs last week. As their father, I guess you'd like to decide what to do with them."

Roy felt his heart clench at the thought. The horror of receiving Fullmetal's old prosthetics, his limbs. The unbearable reminder that their owner was gone forever.

Roy couldn't help it, tears began running down his cheeks and he wiped them away. He missed his subordinate every single second, yet he was still happier than he could ever remember being because of his sons. But the hurt of losing the kid was growing stronger and stronger with each day as the knowledge that Fullmetal was never returning from another mission started to sink in. Fullmetal was gone forever. And he didn't even have a funeral.

"I'd like to bury them. I want the amazing boy we knew to get a proper grave. He's not dead, I know, but I want to have some kind of memorial or something. To have a place to mourn him. To mourn the boy he became and never will be again." Roy put his face in his hands. "Please."

* * *

Alphonse arrived at the house with the two dogs and Riza to hear a series of grunts and the sound of digging at the back of the house. Curious, he gave Rolf's leash to Riza as he walked around the house to find Dad digging a hole in the garden, his face streaked with tears and dirt. He was only wearing his boxers and undershirt and he was even barefoot. Yet he was digging like his life depended on it. "Dad? What's going on?"

Dad looked up at that, obviously not having heard him coming. Tears were pressing at the corners of his eyes and he looked miserable. "Hi, Al. I'm giving your brother a proper grave." His voice sounded strangled as he said it. "Pinako asked me what I'd like to do with his automail limbs, and I wanted to give that fantastic boy we lost a memorial. I hope it's okay with you." His face was so filled with anguish, Al didn't even know what to say. He just walked forwards and hugged him. He had a feeling that Dad had had a breakdown. Al knew he was grieving Brother, but seeing him looking so lost, hurt Al so much. Dad wasn't just grieving the loss of his subordinate, but also the son he could have had, it was clear on his face. Dad was just leaning against Al's chest and Al gently patted his back. "I'll help you."

And so he broke out of the hug and went to fetch another shovel and set to work, none of them speaking. And Al felt it was nice to know that they were burying Big Brother's memory here in Resembool. Al was grieving, but not physically. He couldn't get that feeling of his stomach being twisted by grief, the pain in his chest. He couldn't even cry. But the mental pain was there. It was there everyday and Al knew that if it hadn't been for the fact that Brother wasn't dead and he was happy and only younger, then Al didn't think he could have dealt with it. But it was still Ed. Al could still remember Ed from when he was this age. When the two of them ran around together to show Mom each of their transmutations. When they would wake up and one or both of them would run into her room and jump up into the bed and hug her while she laughed and hugged them back, even if it was only four in the morning.

Al missed those days and it was clear to him that Ed missed the young him too. But Ed would grow up again, but this time as Dad's son too. He wouldn't grow up to be Edward Elric. He'd be Edward Elric-Mustang.

And Al's life had changed a lot too. He wasn't Ed's little brother like he used to be. He had got a new life too.

After all, he was Alphonse Elric-Mustang.

With a hyphen.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter forty-two**

Ed was sitting on the bed, reading, when a couple of hands gently closed the book on his lap, revealing Daddy looking at him with a sad smile and a towel tied around his waist, obviously just done showering. He had been crying, it was clear. He sat down next to him as Ed put down the book. "Daddy? What's wrong?"

"I could use a hug right now," Daddy said softly, although he was a bit hoarse.

Ed took one look into his bloodshot eyes and saw the same kind of desperate pain he had had in his eyes after he beat Grant. Daddy was in pain and he was hurting something bad. Ed immediately climbed onto his lap and stood on his knees as he put his arms around Daddy's neck and hugged him tight just as Daddy's arms squeezed him back. "What happened, Daddy? You've been gone for hours!"

"Pinako asked me what I wanted to do with your old automail. I told her I wanted to bury them in order to have a memorial for the old you so that we can say goodbye. I have been digging a grave with Alphonse. We're holding a kind of service later once we get properly dressed. Would you like to join us? You don't have to." Daddy spoke quietly, his voice filled with understanding.

"I wanna join you. I wanna be there for Al and you. But don't we have to wear nice clothes to memorial services? I don't think Granny wants you to wear your uniform and you don't have a suit you know…"

"Which is why I thought he might like to borrow this," Granny suddenly said from the doorway, a black suit in her hands. She walked over and placed it on the bed. "It belonged to my son. You may have done a lot of things that I don't like, Roy, but you are their father and I think Yuriy would have wanted to lend this to you if he could, judging by what Ed tells me you plan to do with Ishbal. You don't strike me as a man who would lie about something like that, especially as it can be seen as treason. And you will certainly _not_ be wearing that symbol of a dog you call a uniform to something like this."

"Thank you, Pinako, that means a lot. I don't feel like wearing my uniform to this either. I'm not going as his Commanding Officer and I certainly don't want to have anything linking this to the military, not with the way they have been acting around this." Daddy was sad, it was very clear, his voice was slightly strangled when he spoke. Ed was just happy that they seemed to have figured things out a bit.

"Just make sure it doesn't get any spots that won't get off," Granny said as she left the room.

"Of course, and once again, thank you."

"Well, I'm beginning to see why the boys trust you, that's all. I'll meet you in the garden in an hour."

And so she left.

Ed hugged Daddy tighter. "Are you gonna be all right, Daddy?"

"As long as I have you and Al, I'll be okay. It was just hard, burying the automail. Really hard."

"I understand."

Daddy kissed his cheek and hugged him even tighter. They sat like that for a few minutes until Daddy straightened up a bit. "I guess we should get ready to go. You need to get washed up and I need to get dressed. Why don't you go to the bathroom and I'll come once I get at least a bit more presentable?"

Ed kissed his cheek and slid off his lap, doing as he was asked. He paused in the hallway, suddenly realising that he didn't have a suit that fit the circumstances either. You wore black to these things, after all.

Maybe Granny would have something he could wear if she had kept something like Uncle Yuriy's suit. And so Ed shouted for her to find out where she'd gone off to.

"I'm in the workshop, Ed!" Granny called back. Ed walked over there to find Granny and Winry furiously cleaning Al's armour. Ed guessed he'd got pretty dirty from digging.

"Granny? Do you have a suit for me too?"

"No, I'm sorry, Ed, but all your old clothes were stored in your old house," Granny said sadly.

"Oh, so they were burned." Ed was a bit disappointed. He had forgotten about the fact that just about everything from their first childhood was ashes.

"Why don't you wear your new suit, Brother?" Al asked kindly.

"But you wear black to these things, don't you?"

"Ed, I'm sure that there's nothing Big Brother would have wanted more than for you to wear red to his memorial service. He'd have been laughing triumphantly in fact."

"Oh. I guess you're right." Ed suddenly realised that it was his own funeral in a way, and red was the coolest colour there was, so yes, that was actually right. Ed smiled at Al. "Thanks, Alphonse!

"Of course, Brother."

* * *

Roy could have sworn he had a heart attack as the bedroom door opened just as he put his other foot through the remaining leg of his boxers. He must have set some kind of world record with the speed he used as he pulled the garment from around his ankles and up to his waist. In fact he may have used a bit too much force and basically gave himself a wedgie, causing him to bite his lip in order not to swear loudly. He gave a sigh of relief as it turned out to only be Ed. He was still glad that he had managed to pull on his boxers so quickly, he didn't really feel the need for Ed to see him naked. He knew that a lot of parents didn't care when their children were at that age, but no matter how much Ed was his son now, the boy had still been his subordinate two months ago and Roy knew that Fullmetal would have beat him to a pulp if Roy had flashed his naked being at him. He had a strong feeling that the kid would have been mortified to know that Roy was helping his five-year-old self bathe, but that could hardly be helped.

His main fear, however, had been that one of the Rockbells would walk in and find him stark naked which probably wouldn't help after that whole incident with him nearly torching Winry. Roy was still a bit surprised that Pinako had been so unconcerned about him only wearing a towel earlier, but he guessed it had something to do with her being a surgeon.

Although Hawkeye would have left him blushing as well.

"Oh, Ed, you scared me!" Roy said through gritted teeth as he released his grip on the waistband and pulled his boxers down a bit again so that they were where they should be instead of the way they had been threatening to turn him into a falsetto. "Is something wrong?"

"No, but Al said that I could wear my red suit to the service."

"Oh, of course. The Fullmetal I knew would surely have wanted you to wear it."

"That's what Al said too. I'll go to the bathroom now!" And so he left, done delivering his message and with the slightly strained look he got when he had to pee.

Roy smiled and picked up the towel lying at his feet before he walked slightly gingerly over to Ed's suitcase and brought out his red suit and black shirt. He took a deep breath, straightening his back and walked into the bathroom, not showing any sign of the frankly embarrassing pain he had just put himself through.

* * *

Roy walked out into the garden together with the others, all of them dressed up and not saying anything as they gathered around the freshly dug grave. The stone was unmarked because Roy hadn't known what to write on it. Al had therefore decided to transmute the stone so that the flamel sign Fullmetal always wore on the back of his coat was engraved on it. Roy had wrapped the two limbs in a sheet each before him and Al had covered them with dirt, leaving the fresh mound in front of them now. Roy had placed the limbs in a way that suggested that the one they belonged to was merely invisible and Roy had a feeling that the level of precision they had used was so immaculate that if they had had Fullmetal here now, they could have placed him between them like the piece of a jigsaw.

And the grave was properly deep. There was no chance of heavy rains exposing the limbs or anything like that. Roy's hands were covered in blisters and Ed had insisted on Pinako bandaging them, so now both his hands were carefully wrapped in bandages and stinging like hell. It didn't matter, though. Roy wanted to have a place to honour Fullmetal's memory and Roy didn't want to take any shortcuts by using alchemy. He hadn't even needed to explain it to Alphonse. Roy had needed this. It had come as a bit of a shock to him, but during the talk with Pinako earlier today, he had had an epiphany of sorts. His body had finally let it sink in that Roy hadn't just lost his subordinate, he had lost the boy who could have become his son just like his brother was now. He had thought it many times, but it was only now that his body had realised it and it hurt. It hurt so much that he could hardly breathe.

He gripped Ed's hand, needing the support that it brought. His stomach felt so twisted by guilt that he couldn't think clearly. That was the price he paid for mentally separating Fullmetal and Ed into two different people, it may make it easier for him to act around Ed in the way he needed, but it also made it feel so much more like Fullmetal had died for real. And it was Roy's fault that it happened. And he had needed to remind himself so many times he'd lost count by now that Fullmetal was in fact the sweet little boy that was his son now. That the boy he had known was merely gone, but his soul and life was intact. That Ed would just grow up differently.

But Roy still knew that he deserved every single jab of guilt and pain that attacked his body.

Al held up a sheet of paper and began reading. "Dear Big Brother. I know that you're still here, but there are still a few things I want you to know. I want to thank you for those fourteen years we had and for raising me when Mom died. For being there every step of the way. For being the best Big Brother I could ever have asked for and for always being there to listen. For sacrificing your arm to save me. For staying up with me when I had nightmares and we were home alone. For never treating me different even when I'm inside this armour. There are so many other things to say, but I know you well enough to know that you would have stopped me from saying anything else. All because you don't feel that you deserve it. Well, Brother, you do. I know you would probably have hit me by now for continuing and we'd soon be stuck in a sparring match, so I just want you to know that I love you. I love you so much, Brother." Al had now turned to Ed instead. "And thank you for being here with me even when you're gone. Thank you for never having left my side, even now. You took care of me for fourteen years, so now it's my turn to take care of you." Al kneeled down, stretching his arms out for a hug as the rest of them stood with tears running down their cheeks. Ed ran into them and Al hugged him tight. "And just know that I love you no matter what."


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter forty-three**

Roy was sure that he had earned some approval from Pinako as she stood on the platform, telling him to take care through the window of their compartment.

"You too. You know that you two are welcome to come visit us in East City, right? As long as we're home, that is."

"Maybe we will, Roy. And you know that you're all welcome to come and stay whenever you want."

"Thank you, Pinako." Roy looked her straight in the eyes as he said it and it seemed that she understood how deeply he meant it. She gave him a very slight smile and then the train started moving and they all waved as the train pulled out of the platform and they were on their way back home.

Roy was in rather high spirits, as were the rest of them, despite saying goodbye to the Rockbells, because Al's name change certificate had arrived in the mail this morning. And so Pinako had sent them off with a large can of Ed's favourite chocolate chip cookies and Rolf kept eyeing the can with about as much eager trepidation as Ed did.

* * *

The train pulled up at a station that Roy didn't even know the name of. A black-haired man on the platform caught Roy's attention however, and Roy leaned out of the window to get a better look at him, only to have the man freeze before running away.

Roy made a split second decision and got to his feet, lifting the sleeping Ed into his arms. "We're getting off here."

"Why, Dad?" Al asked, getting to his feet.

"That was Doctor Tim Marcoh who just passed by the train. He's a highly skilled alchemist specialising in medical alchemy and he may just have a few pointers on how to get your body back."

Roy remembered reading about Marcoh when they were looking through the files in order to try and pinpoint who may have kidnapped Fullmetal. Marcoh had certainly been skilled enough to be on the list of potential kidnappers.

And so Roy carried Ed while Al took their suitcases and Hawkeye took the cookies and Rolf. Roy stopped the first people they met, and as both himself and Hawkeye were back to wearing their uniforms as they were technically back to being alert and the boys's bodyguards, they were instantly met with respect. "Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to know the doctor who just walked past the train, would you?"

"Oh, that was Doctor Mauro, is something wrong, Officer?" a young brunette asked him, eyeing Edward's sleeping form in his arms.

"Doctor Mauro? And no, nothing's wrong, we just have a couple of questions as he may be able to help us with a case, that's all. You wouldn't happen to know where he lives, would you?"

"I'm sorry, Officer, but I'm hopeless with directions, you have to ask someone else."

"Very well, thank you and have a good day."

"You too, sir!" Roy turned around as she walked back to the rest of her group, just able to hear the brunette giggling together with her friend. "He was _cute_!"

"Which one? Him or his son?"

"I wouldn't mind kissing either one's tummy!"

More giggles.

Roy would usually have been hitting on her so fast he would make her head spin, but that was the old him. Flirting wasn't among his priorities anymore and certainly not when they had a possible lead on getting Al his body back.

"Okay, he seems to be working under an alias, so apparently we're looking for Doctor Mauro."

And so they set to work, asking around. Many would grow wary when they saw the uniform, only to practically melt at the sight of the young boy in Roy's arms. Ed would probably have been scared to meet this many strangers, so it was a good thing that he was sleeping.

The people all described their local doctor as a kind man who would take any patient and healed them with "a bright flash of light". Roy had to say that it sounded a lot like he was using alchemy.

"He sounds like he's a really nice man," Al said as they left a group of people who were finally able to give them some proper directions to Marcoh's clinic. "Why was he on the list of suspects?"

"Because he disappeared during the civil war along with some top secret documents. He used to be involved with the research department."

"Oh. Does that mean that you're going to have to arrest him?"

"You sound like you don't want me to." Roy spoke softly.

"I don't know… Stealing top secret research documents from the military is a serious offence, but it's like these people say: he treats everyone for free so that they can get proper medical attention. If he really is as kind as they say, then it wouldn't be right to take the only doctor these people have away."

"… Which means that we'll talk with the good doctor before we decide," Roy replied with a tiny smirk.

Al chuckled lightly. "You know, Dad, it's still a bit odd to get used to the new you. You're a lot easier to talk to."

"I would guess that it has something to do with me not being your older brother's CO anymore." Roy heaved a great sigh. "I still want to apologise for not getting to know you two better before we lost him. If I had only been a bit more observant as to the fact that I actually cared about you, then a lot of things could have been very different for a long time now. I'm so sorry for not taking that step before I did."

Al put his large hand on Roy's right shoulder, but like the soul inside, the touch was gentle and comforting. "Dad, you've told us that a lot of times these last two months, and it's okay, it really is. We have you now and you stepped up when we needed you the most. You're a great Dad and you're just going to have to accept that some day. Now it's this house here, right?" Al said with a kind of finality in his voice, making it clear that he didn't want to hear Roy's protests.

Roy sighed. "Yes, it is." And so he followed Al, Hawkeye and Rolf up the stairs before he knocked twice on the door. "Doctor Marcoh? We're not here to take you away, so please open up," Roy said.

There was no answer and so Roy carefully opened the door only to jump away as a gun was fired where Ed's head had just been. The boy woke up with a frightened scream just as Alphonse quickly knocked the gun out of Marcoh's hand with one of the suitcases and Marcoh stood staring at them with fright in his eyes. "PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME BACK THERE!"

Ed was bawling and Roy held him tightly, staring angrily at the shaking man. "Like I said, we're not here to take you away, now I suggest you let us in and know that if you pull out another gun and point it at my son again, Lieutenant Hawkeye won't hesitate to shoot you." And so Roy turned his focus solely to Ed. "You're safe, Ed, nobody is going to harm you, now how about a cookie?"

Ed stopped sobbing immediately and only a few tears ran down his cheeks. "Mhm."

And so Hawkeye gave Ed a cookie from the can and Ed relished it, sniffing slightly as Roy carried him into Marcoh's living room while the man stood there, apparently unsure as to what to say. Roy sat down by the living room table and held Ed on his lap where the child was completely caught up in his cookie and was staring at it slightly crossed-eyed as he gnawed on it.

Alphonse and Hawkeye came over and sat down too, leaving Marcoh to stand by the front door, looking a mixture of scared and miserable. "Well, Doctor Marcoh, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang and these are my sons Edward and Alphonse Elric-Mustang. We have a few questions for you and that's all. Now, if you would please sit down as you're making my son nervous."

Ed did still have some tears running down his cheeks after the abrupt awakening and was clinging to Roy's uniform jacket now that the cookie had been devoured. Roy gently dried the tears away with his hands and let his right hand rest on Ed's cheek, gently stroking it with his thumb. "With a hyphen," Ed said quietly with a sniff.

Marcoh looked confused at that. "Hyphen?" he inquired, carefully walking over to the table and sitting down, his fright lessening slightly as his doctorly instincts kick in.

"It's Elric-Mustang with a hyphen," Ed said with a slightly grumpy look. "Daddy? Where are we? I thought we were going home?" His golden orbs looked curiously up at Roy. "Are we in danger again?"

"No, Ed, we're not in danger," Roy said soothingly. "We're just asking this man a few questions in case he has an answer to our problems, that's all."

"But why did he try to shoot us?"

"Because he was scared."

"So he's not like the bad people in Liore?"

Roy hugged Ed tighter. "No, he's not."

"Good." Ed the turned his head towards Marcoh who had been watching the conversation with confusion. "Why are you scared of us? Are you a bad guy?"

Marcoh's eyes widened. "I… Uhm …" Then he sighed. "It's a long story."


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter forty-four**

"But this really isn't a matter for children to hear about…" Marcoh began heavily, looking to Roy and then at Ed.

"I know a lot of things I shouldn't," Ed said, turning around on Roy's lap so that he was fully facing Doctor Marcoh. "I know the world is scary and dark and that the military did bad things in Ishbal."

Marcoh looked shocked. "How did you know that this was about Ishbal?"

"Because Daddy looks the same after his nightmares. And I know that the world is scarier and darker than you want me to think. Mom died two months ago." Ed said the last part with a finality that made Roy's heart clench and he hugged Ed tightly.

"You were there to watch her pass on…" Marcoh said with sympathy.

"Yes and no."

That left Marcoh confused. Roy was just going to let Ed tell the man as much as he wanted to. Ed was a good judge of character and Roy had a feeling that Marcoh would be unwilling to talk to them about anything without knowing their thoughts on the military. And Roy could tell that this was a desperate man escaping from his demons, not an evil man fleeing the law. "How do you mean?"

"Because Mom really died ten years ago and two really bad people stole the last ten years from me."

That statement left Marcoh speechless.

"They took me and they tied me up and they hurt me with the needles and then Daddy found me and got me loose. They told me that Mom was dead and everything. That Lillian and Grant stole my life! They took away my little brother growing up and my friends and family and everything else has just grown up without me because of what they did!"

"Why…?" Marcoh said, looking horrified.

"Because they were gonna adopt me! They were gonna take everything away from me and make me their puppet!" Ed was crying again and Roy gently wiped his tears away, his gloved hand soaking up the moisture. "They took two thirds of my life away from me! They just said it was wrong and so they threw it away!" Ed began sobbing and Roy held him closer, gently stroking his back as he placed his chin on top of his head. Ed was shaking with a mixture of sobs and fright and Roy so desperately wished for Ed to not have to go through the pain he did. But he knew that with what Ed had gone through, that there weren't any easy answers and shortcuts. And so Roy could only try to support him as best he could through Ed's torment.

"But how is that even possible?" Marcoh asked, his face pale.

Ed wasn't up to speak much more and so Roy took over. "Because one of the kidnappers used her own life force as payment to remove the last ten years. Now the military is trying to hush it up that the people who did this were officers themselves and weren't caught during the five months they were at large, killing a total of thirty-four children as practice in order to make Ed the way he is now."

Marcoh looked down sadly. "I see. So your faith in the military has been shaken too…"

"Could you please tell us about your research, Doctor Marcoh?" Al interrupted. Roy had a feeling that he was trying to stop this from being potentially incriminating for Roy. He felt a speck of warmth form in his stomach despite the lump resting there after Ed had repeated his story.

Marcoh sighed heavily. "I know the situation with your brother is hard, but knowing about my research will hardly help. It's not the answer."

"I can't be fixed," Ed said, his sobbing having died down. "We know that, it's not why we came."

"You don't know what you're asking of me. I did horrible things… What they made me do… To see it used to kill so many thousands of people… I just couldn't take it anymore. It's why I took the research notes and left. I came here, working as a doctor, trying to pay off a fraction of my debt."

"But what exactly was it you were researching?" Roy asked, curiosity peaked. Exactly what sort of research had this man done that had been so hushed up?

"I was making the Philosopher's Stone."

Roy froze.

Everyone froze.

Marcoh continued however, sighing miserably. "I took the Stone and my research data."

"**You have the Stone?!**" Roy exclaimed at the same time as Al did.

"Yes." Marcoh stood up and walked over to a cabinet, taking out a vial with a shiny red liquid and holding it up for them to see.

"The Stone? But that's a liquid?" Al said.

Roy was confused as hell and Ed was just staring at it, open-mouthed.

Then Roy panicked as Marcoh simply poured the Stone onto the table.

… Only for it to turn into a pebble-like lump on the wooden surface.

Ed moved out of Roy's lap and crawled onto the table and prodded it with his index finger, revealing it not to be a hardened substance either, but sort of jelly-like. Ed seemed to be absolutely mesmerised by it.

"The Sage's Stone," Marcoh began, "The Stone of Heaven… The Great Elixir… The Red Tincture… The Fifth Element… Just as there are many names for the Philosopher's Stone, it seems that it might not be a stone at all."

Roy was absolutely astounded. They had actually found it. Just like that.

Marcoh scooped it back into the vial and Ed crawled back onto Roy's lap. "This is just for experimental purposes, though. It's an imperfect compound and it is impossible to know when it will reach its limits and cease to work. But even so, compounds like these were used secretly throughout the civil war, and they were tremendously successful."

Roy thought back to the one Cornello had and that one certainly fit the description of imperfect, the way it rebounded. "But that must mean that a perfect one must be possible to create. Would you mind showing us your research data?"

Marcoh looked like he was fighting an inward struggle before his face was set with a stubborn look. "I will not let the military to get their hands on it again. I'll take that secret to my grave."

"I'm not doing this for the military, damn it! It's for my sons!" Roy was getting furious. They were this close to getting Al his body back, only for the chance to be taken away from them in this way? Roy slammed his right fist on the table, glaring at Marcoh. Ed flinched slightly at Roy's display of anger. It made Roy even more desperate for Marcoh's cooperation.

"What do you want it for?" Marcoh asked, looking at Roy with defiant fright.

Alphonse then lifted his helmet off, but Ed spoke before he could. "I wanna hug my little brother again."

* * *

"So you committed the taboo…" Doctor Marcoh said heavily. Al had just finished explaining what they did, although Ed could only trust his word on it. Ed hated not to remember. It hurt. He couldn't even remember sacrificing his own arm for his little brother!

Doctor Marcoh sighed. "I see… But I cannot let you see my research in good conscience." He stood up. "Nobody will ever see it. It is the work of the devil and it can only lead straight to hell."

"I've seen hell thirty-six times," Ed said, looking at him, desperately trying to make him change his mind because Al needed his body!

Doctor Marcoh froze and looked back at him. "What do you mean?"

"That was as many needles as Lillian and Grant put in my back and neck. Y-you don't know it's like! Being tied up and scared and everywhere smells like blood! To have two strangers telling you that you're their son! To have them pat you and hug you and kiss your cheek and then stick needles in your back! To know that every single needle might be the one that steals everything away! Or it might just hurt or make you see things! And they hurt! They hurt so bad and I couldn't do anything other than scream and they just hugged me and patted me and said it was necessary for my new life with them! They said they were "preparing" me! And I couldn't move away! Every time the drugs stopped working, they would just push my head forwards and stick another needle into me!" Ed was crying again now, he just couldn't stop it. "You don't know what it's like! They didn't feed me or let me drink and they had stuck a needle in my arm and it kept pumping stuff into me too! I was scared and cold and alone and they were gonna take everything away from me!" Ed paused, taking a deep breath. "I-I began wishing that it would be the ones that hurt because the other ones made me see Mom and Al and that hurt so much because I wouldn't see them again!" Ed began sobbing now, thinking about it hurt so much too. "A-and then Daddy saved me, and I learnt what had happened! What I did to my little brother! And now you won't help him! He can't eat or sleep or cry or touch!"

Doctor Marcoh just looked sad. Ed couldn't have him sad, he needed him to say yes! "You say you're a doctor and doctors help people, so why won't you help Alphonse?! He's lost Mom! He's lost his body! He's lost his big brother who raised him and he's still only a kid!"

Doctor Marcoh stared at Ed for a long time and Ed glared back at him, not breaking the eye contact, despite the tears and sobs that were escaping him. In the end, Doctor Marcoh sighed and walked over to his desk, scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Take my word for it, this isn't the solution to your problem. This will only lead to hardship and nothing more," he said heavily, folding the note together and walking back to them. "I'm sorry, but if you're still determined to find out for yourself, then this is where I've hid my research. If you can look the truth in the face, then do it." He handed the note to Ed. "And maybe you will find the truth that lies within the truth."


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter forty-five**

Roy was halfway lying in his train seat, his feet on the bench and Edward asleep on his chest, the little boy snoring lightly.

Roy and Alphonse were both watching the same thing with high expectations: Hawkeye was sleeping and she was slowly sliding sideways so that she would soon be leaning against Al's arm. Roy had warned him that it was actually better not to try to steady her as she could be inclined to see it as an attack and Roy would rather not have to wake Ed up twice in one day with the sound of a gun going off.

And so the moment came as Hawkeye's head gently crashed against Al's right arm with a little "gonk".

Roy smiled. It was incredibly rare usually to see the Lieutenant sleeping, but with long train rides like these, it couldn't really be avoided.

They were on the train from East City to Central and would be arriving in two days. Their plans had understandably changed with the research notes being stored at the Central Library, so their trip back home had been delayed.

"I didn't know that he had counted them," Al said quietly, now sure that Hawkeye was still asleep. His voice was full of sorrow and pain.

Roy knew instantly what Alphonse was talking about. He was still shaken by what Ed had said today. "Me neither. Has he told you about wishing that the drugs would hurt instead of causing hallucinations?" Roy asked just as quietly, his stomach twisting at the thought.

"No."

Roy sighed heavily, pulling Ed closer. "So he's hiding things from us."

"Just like he used to," Al said sadly. "Even when he's five, he doesn't want to tell us things that will hurt us."

Roy sighed again, feeling a kind of pained fury settling in his chest. "Do you think he should see a psychologist?"

"I don't think it will help… He's just going to close himself up without having us there and if we are there, then he won't say anything we don't know. Besides, I don't want him to have to relive what the Pentons did to him that way. I don't want to force him into a chair to talk about it against his will with a stranger. I don't want to force him into anything!" Roy had a strong feeling that Al would have been crying if he could, judging by the desperation in his voice at the last remark. "I just want him to be happy! Not to be happy and then have horrible nightmares about those maniacs! He's _five_ and he has already learnt to keep some of his thoughts to himself in order not to hurt those closest to him! It isn't fair!"

"I know, Alphonse. We should still talk to him about it, though. If he keeps things bottled up he won't ever be able to let them go because he treats them as his secrets. We just need to convince him that it hurts us more to know that he's keeping things from us."

"Although we're keeping secrets from him too…" Al said quietly.

"Alphonse –" Roy began.

"But we are! For exactly the same reasons! We don't want to see him get hurt!"

"Alphonse, we're trying to stop a five-year-old from having even more nightmares than he already has. We've learnt to accept it, Ed treats it like it is a dirty secret and it is eating at him."

"It's just that it won't really be an Equivalent Exchange if we demand that Brother tells us things when we're withholding information from him."

Roy reached out and took Al's right hand in his left, looking at him. "Alphonse, telling him about what the transmutation created won't do him any good."

"I know, Dad, it's just that there's so much more we won't tell him just because we don't want to scare him. But I'm still scared, Dad. And what if all those possibilities are true and we haven't told him? He could lose his trust in us! But how can we tell him that there's always a possibility that he'll be stuck as a five-year-old for the rest of his life? That he won't grow because we can't be sure that the Pentons made him so that he will? What if something is wrong with him and he'll be stuck with a body that keeps being five even as his brain matures? What do we do then? We're just waiting to see if he'll grow up like he should or if the Pentons destroyed everything!"

"Alphonse, remember, the infirmary doctor couldn't find anything wrong with Ed. Besides, his hair has been growing and so has his nails, that suggests that he is growing like he should."

There was silence between them for a while, until Roy sighed and voiced a concern of his own. "He flinched."

"What?" Al was clearly confused. "What are you talking about, Dad?"

"Ed. He flinched when I slammed my fist on Marcoh's table. Every time I get angry, Ed gets scared. Was he like that the first time around? Or is this brought on by what the Pentons did, you think?"

"I think it's new."

"So Ed is scared of me," Roy said with a sigh, looking down at the sleeping form on his chest.

"M'not…" Ed said, lifting his head slowly, causing Roy to panic slightly. If Ed knew what they had been discussing, then it might just break his trust in them completely.

"Edward! How long have you been awake?"

"I just woke, Daddy. And I'm not scared of you." Ed flipped over on his belly and looked straight up at Roy as he propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes large and confused. "Why d'you think so?"

"You always get so scared when I'm angry, Ed…" Roy said, needing to get this sorted out. If he needed to explain something to Ed, then he wanted to know what it was that bothered Ed. The worst thing Roy could imagine was his five-year-old son subconsciously fearing him.

"You don't look like you when you're angry, Daddy. Your eyes change and it looks like the Roy-thing," Ed said quietly, looking a bit ashamed.

Roy sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Ed. I don't mean to scare you."

"It's not your fault, Daddy. I'm just getting scared even though it looks like you and not you that looks like it did… It's just that it's like in the nightmares… I'm sorry, Daddy…"

Roy felt his heart clench. Ed always told him about the nightmares and Roy knew that the Roy-thing had been featured in many of them. Roy also knew that it meant that he'd been giving his son flashbacks to the nightmares whenever he got angry.

And the ironic part was that Roy felt his anger flare at the thought. Instead he looked down at his son and let his chest fill with love instead of revenge. He was pissed off with the Pentons and the Roy-thing, but if he scared his son by being angry, then he'd work on not letting that emotion show too often when Ed was awake.

Because if it was true, and Roy had no reason to to question its credibility, then he didn't like the fact that his own son didn't recognise his eyes when he was angry.

And Roy was sometimes frightened by his own wrath.

After all, if Ed hadn't stopped him, Roy would probably have beaten Tucker to death in front of Ed. What kind of man does that?

One thing was sure, if Roy let his hatred consume him, then not even Ed would be able to say that Roy wasn't a monster.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter forty-six**

Roy got off the train and turned around to help Ed jump down the last step with a delighted look on his face. Roy had to say that it felt marvellous to stretch his legs again. He looked towards the large clock hanging above the platform, telling them it was four minutes past eight in the evening. He took Ed's right hand in his, watching as Al, Hawkeye and Rolf got off the train too.

Ed had been super excited about maybe finding a way to get Al's body back and his spirits were high. Roy knew the library closed five minutes ago and it was really bedtime for Ed, so they'd be going to the first branch tomorrow. Roy was looking forward to finally stretching out on a bed. Those train benches were torture and he hadn't been sleeping in a bed for three days. It was going to be great and he was more than happy to spend some extra money on getting a nicer room than the standard ones just to get a king-sized bed with a mattress that he could just sink into to his heart's desire. Besides, Ed would probably be fascinated, especially as Roy knew that those suites in fact had a jacuzzi. He had a feeling that it was a good thing that they still had their swimming trunks as it meant that Roy could teach his son just how enjoyable those things could be without Ed getting frightened by being in there alone. Also, those jacuzzis were really too deep for Ed to be left in on his own. But as long as Roy was there, it would be safe and Ed would probably enjoy it immensely.

Roy knew he would himself and if the water jets frightened Ed, they could just turn them off and Ed could enjoy the luxury of a deep tub.

Those suites also had separate bedrooms, meaning that they wouldn't have to pay for two rooms as there was one bedroom with a king-size bed and one with two singles. After all the bad nights Ed had had the last week, having a suite that was relaxing as hell would be good for them.

A soldier suddenly walked up to them, saluting both him and Hawkeye in turn. "Sir! I'm Second Lieutenant Maria Ross. I've been sent by Lieutenant Colonel Hughes to drive yourself, First Lieutenant Hawkeye and your sons to your hotel."

"Ah, thank you, Lieutenant Ross," Roy said smoothly enough, although he was surprised by the fact that Hughes wouldn't send any of his old team.

Ed was hiding behind Roy's left leg, looking at the stranger anxiously. Roy knew that Ed was still frightened of strangers, especially when they were unfamiliar soldiers that Roy didn't know either. After learning of the Pentons being soldiers, Ed's eyes had a tendency to view the uniforms as costumes rather than a source of comfort when worn by strangers.

"Where's Jean, Daddy? He picked us up back home," Ed said in a low voice.

Second Lieutenant Ross smiled kindly at Ed. "We are very busy at investigations right now because of the fire two days ago, sir. I was the only one the Lieutenant Colonel could spare at the moment," she said to Roy.

"What fire?" Roy asked.

"The first branch of Central Library, sir. It is believed to have been arson. The whole building was burnt down."

Al gasped, Roy felt like someone had just stabbed his chest with a sword. That couldn't be right. Not when they actually had a lead. "Were all the contents irretrievable, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir, although we have found a woman with eidetic memory who used to work there. She is helping us to recreate the records."

Roy could have sworn that if there was a god, he thoroughly enjoyed jerking him around. "Please wait a second, I've got a phone call to make, I'll be back shortly."

* * *

Roy opened the door to their suite, taking in the smell of luxury. The girl, Sheska, was going to write down the notes and that meant that right now, they had all the time they wanted to have a relaxing evening. Ed was staring at the room wide-eyed. He had slept so much on the train that he'd be awake for about two more hours if Roy knew his napping schedule, which he did. "Well, Ed, welcome to the world of indulgence. We're not making this into a habit, but right now I think we deserve it."

Ed was immediately running inside the large room, kicking off his shoes as he went and throwing open one of the bedroom doors, only to shout out loudly. "Daddy! What's that on the pillows?"

Roy smiled and walked further into the room, taking his and Ed's suitcases from Alphonse. "Chocolates," Roy said, appearing in the doorway, wanting to see Ed's gleeful face at the news for himself.

Ed looked up at Roy absolutely mesmerised. "They put chocolates on our pillows?!"

"Yes. It's a welcome gift from the hotel. You can eat mine too if you want." Roy smiled at Ed as he put the suitcases down outside the closet in their room.

Ed had jumped onto the bed within a second, quickly working on unwrapping the first of the two chocolates.

Thirty seconds later, Ed was standing on the large bed with a wide grin and a bit of melted chocolate at the corner of his mouth. "They were yummy!" Ed then jumped twice on the bed before his feet got tangled up in the sheets and he fell backwards onto the bed, laughing. Roy grinned. "Just be careful, Ed."

"I will, Daddy!"

Roy brought a change of clothes with him into the bathroom, carefully hiding his swimming trunks and bathrobe from view. He wanted to make sure that everything was as it should be with the jacuzzi before he told Ed about it. If something was wrong, he didn't want to crush Ed's hopes.

Thankfully, he found it to be just as he remembered, a large, square tub that sunk into a kind of platform, making it look fancier than it was. It was about two by two metres and had two seats of sorts on each side that also worked as a staircase to step on to get in and out of the jacuzzi.

It was certainly an upgrade from the usual hotel bathtubs.

And it was going to work wonders on Roy's aching back.

And so Roy slipped out of his uniform and his boxers and pulled on his swimming trunks before slipping on his bathrobe and tying it around his waist. He walked back out of the bathroom, nodding at the knowing look on Hawkeye's face and the slight chuckle from Alphonse. Roy had already told them about his plans on the train while Ed was asleep and they had agreed wholeheartedly that introducing Ed to a jacuzzi was going to make the kid ecstatic.

Ed had developed a strong fondness for bathing and it seemed to have a highly relaxing effect on him as well. Roy and Al had been discussing it during Ed's naps, and they had come to the conclusion that it probably had something to do with the Pentons. Ed hadn't really enjoyed bathing before the kidnapping, but he had told them about how the Pentons would wash his back from time to time with a cold washcloth after letting him pee in the bucket. As Ed's back and neck got more covered with needle marks, the concept of washing up had scared him as more and more of his skin got swollen at the areas where the drugs had been injected into him. The Pentons would clean him three or four times everyday, rubbing the sore skin with that rag of a washcloth, making him cry even more than he already had. Ed had marvelled at the feel of warm water against his skin ever since, as well as being thoroughly caught up with things being soft, especially his own clothing.

Roy went back into the bedroom, carefully hanging his uniform inside the closet before turning back to Ed who was jumping on the bed on all fours. "It's so soft! It's like your bed back home!"

_Which is exactly why we're paying extra._

Roy smiled. "Hey, Ed, you want to take a bath before bed?"

Ed lit up. "Yay! Can we play with the duckies?!"

"Of course! Let's go find them right away." And so Roy pulled out Ed's suitcase and opened it up, finding the five rubber ducks in question. Ed immediately scooped them into his arms and followed Roy into the bathroom, only to stop in front of the tub. Roy grinned and put his hands on his son's shoulders. "Ed, today you're learning a new word: jacuzzi."


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter forty-seven**

Ed looked up at Roy with large eyes. "Jacuzzi? What's that?"

"It's a bathtub that shoots water jets under the water. It's really relaxing. I'll show you, Ed."

Ed nodded at Roy, still looking a bit sceptical. After scrutinising the empty tub, Ed dropped his rubber ducks at the bottom and walked over to the toilet to pee. Roy had taught him that it was always a good idea to do so before taking a bath so that he didn't have to get out halfway. Roy had already relieved himself before fetching Ed and he simply untied his bathrobe, hanging it up on the peg on the door as he closed it. Ed looked up at Roy curiously from where he was sitting, obviously having recognised his swimming trunks. "You're gonna join me, Daddy?"

"Yes. The tub is a lot deeper and bigger than the ones you are used to and it's not safe for you to be in there on your own."

"Oh. So it's dangerous?" Ed looked up at Roy slightly anxiously at that, stopping halfway on his job of getting toilet paper to wipe himself with.

Roy had to admit that explaining jacuzzis to a traumatised five-year-old was a bit challenging. If he explained about the water jets and how they could be quite powerful, especially for someone as small as Ed, would most likely leave the boy terrified. No, he'd take it step by step and show Ed as they went. He smiled at his son with warm confidence. "Not when you're with me."

Ed smiled back at him, although some trepidation still in his eyes. "Okay, Daddy." And so Ed finished his toilet break and once again Roy lifted him by the waist so that he could wash his hands and dry them on the towel. Once he was back on the tiled bathroom floor, he lifted his arms in the air for Roy to help him out of his clothes.

Once Roy had hung the towels on the rack above the jacuzzi, he stepped down into the tub and lifted Ed down to him. Ed was eyeing the various metal circles at the backs of the seats with slight mistrust. Roy smiled encouragingly and Ed just sat down in the middle of the tub as Roy sat himself down at one of the seats. "Okay, Ed, jacuzzis are always hotter than regular baths, but you'll get used to it soon," Roy said, turning the knob to his right, making hot water flow out from the opening at the bottom of the tub. Ed watched the water and put his hand to it, looking at it sceptically as it started filling up around him. "It's really hot."

"I know, but it'll make it more relaxing as you get used to it." Roy spoke kindly and ruffled Ed's hair a bit. Ed relaxed into the touch and leaned against Roy's legs.

"When are the water jets coming?" Ed asked.

"When we've filled the tub and I turn them on. You see these knobs here?" Roy pointed towards a couple of knobs to his right. "When I turn them on, they'll start massaging my back with water."

"Massaging? What's that?" Ed asked.

In answer, Roy gently lifted Ed up on his lap and turned him so that his left arm was facing Roy's chest. Roy really didn't know how to explain massage to a five-year-old without making the kid afraid of him hurting him. "It's like this." Roy then gently put his left arm around Ed's waist while placing his right hand at his back, carefully placing a finger on each side of his spine, just between the shoulder blades and gently pushed his fingers around in circles. "It's basically just rubbing in certain ways and it makes the muscles feel better, making tension go away."

Ed was sitting there, his face confused, probably trying to figure out just how he felt about the sensation. Roy smiled down at him as he moved his hand up to Ed's shoulders, remembering how odd, yet strangely pleasant it was the first time someone gave him a massage. It had been one of the waitresses at the bar and Roy had been seven at the time. She had been babysitting him while the Madame was at a mandatory bar owner course. Cindy, her name was, had been trying to put Roy to bed and was trying to make Roy relax so that he would go to sleep.

Ed had the beginnings of small knots of tension at his shoulders, probably because of the way his sleep was haunted by stress and fear. Roy gently began working on them, voicing a new concern at the tension. "Ed, do you get headaches sometimes?"

"No. Is something wrong, Daddy?"

"No, you're just a bit tense here. It can cause people to get headaches, but if you're not having any, then that's good. You don't have to worry."

The water was just about covering Roy's thighs by now and he could feel his fringe starting to cling a bit to his forehead because of the heat. Ed was leaning sideways into Roy's left shoulder, seeming to enjoy the gentle massage. "You like massage, Ed?"

"It's nice. Odd nice."

Roy chuckled. "That just about sums it up."

Roy kept gently working on the knots in his shoulders until he deemed the water to have filled up enough around them. "Okay, Ed, it's time for you to try this out."

And so Roy leant sideways and turned the knob that turned the water jets on. The jacuzzi soon began bubbling merrily and Ed was sitting there on Roy's lap, looking mesmerised, but giggling merrily. Roy was already enjoying the water jets on his own back.

"Look at the duckies, Daddy!" Ed laughed.

Roy chuckled himself at the five rubber ducks bobbing in the water, being pushed everywhere by the currents. Roy then turned his attention back to Ed and smiled down at him, gently holding his hands at Ed's waist. Ed wasn't tall enough to actually sit anywhere else than on Roy's lap, the water reaching his chin even then, but he didn't seem to mind. Ed was grinning, lifting his arms so that they could float up and be pushed around by the streams. "Do you want more bubbles, Ed?"

Ed grinned. "Yeah!"

And so Roy turned the knob, nearly groaning at the way the water was working on his aching back. He wouldn't have been surprised if he fell asleep in here, so it was really a good thing that Ed was there to keep him awake.

Ed turned around on Roy's lap, leaning his back against his chest before placing Roy's arms so that they were hugging him around the middle. Ed then looked at his right arm, flexing his fingers in the water. He was frowning a bit.

"Is something wrong, Ed?" Roy asked, concerned.

"It's just… this isn't _my_ arm." Ed wriggled his index finger. "This could have been my _knee_ two months ago…"

Roy didn't really know how to respond to that. He hadn't lied to Ed about the details of his transformation, mostly because lying would probably cause him even more distress than the truth. This way, he didn't have to worry that he didn't earn his limbs or something like that because they had simply been made by the materials that were already there.

Not that the truth wasn't distressing enough already.

"D-Daddy? Am I still human?"

Roy froze. Out of all the questions he had anticipated, that was not one of them. "Of course you are, Ed! Why shouldn't you be?"

"B-because I found one of our old alchemy books back in Resembool… I-It had a name for people made from alchemy… A-am I a –"

"You're **_not_** a homunculus, Edward," Roy said sternly, feeling his gut twist at the thought of his son fearing that. He turned Ed around on his lap so that his right shoulder was facing Roy and then he gently held his chin between his thumb and index finger, turning his head towards him. Ed was looking desperately at Roy and he knew that this had been eating at him for days now.

"B-but I'm a human made from alchemy!" Ed said, absolutely terrified.

"No, Ed. You were **born** by your mother and someone used alchemy to turn you back to your younger self. Your body is made from the same one you were born with. You're not artificial. You're one hundred per cent human."

Ed was looking so desperately scared at Roy, but he needed to be sure that there was no doubt in Ed's mind before he could just sweep him into a hug and call for Hawkeye to come in with a cookie. "A-are you sure, Daddy?"

"Yes, Ed. It's still the same life that you were born with, even if you've changed. It's **_your_** soul. Your soul and your body are still the same ones that Trisha Elric carried inside her stomach for nine months. Even if you look and act a bit different, your **soul** is still the same one. It may have been forced to forget the last ten years, but it's still **your **soul. And that is what makes you human."

Ed was quiet for a little while, just looking at Roy, then tears began forming in his eyes.

And so Roy pulled him into a hug, kissing his cheek before resting his chin on top of Ed's head, holding him close. "You, Edward Elric-Mustang, with a hyphen, my son, is, without a doubt, one hundred per cent human."

Ed leaned further into his chest, hugging him back. "Thank you, Daddy."

And so Roy just hugged him for a few minutes before raising his voice a bit. "Lieutenant?! Could you bring us two cookies? I want one too."

And so Roy found himself eating one of Pinako's famous cookies in a jacuzzi with Ed eating one himself where he sat on his lap.

Ed was soon smiling brightly up at him, a large weight clearly having been removed from his shoulders. "Daddy? I like jacuzzis."


	48. Chapter 48

**So, this update is a bit unusual, because I really just said something as a joke, got an idea, and turned it into a small one-shot that I'm putting at the bottom here because I don't really know if I will get to use it otherwise, but it is a part of this story, at least kind of.**

* * *

**Chapter forty-eight**

"Roy! You know what day it is?!" Hughes practically shouted into his ear via the phone. Roy groaned sleepily. It was six in the morning and Roy had been sleeping peacefully just two minutes ago and was certainly not ready to start his day just yet. At least he didn't have to go down to the reception desk as the suites had their own phones.

"No, Maes. Now please, I've been spending three days on a train and I'd really like some sleep –"

"IT'S MY LITTLE ANGEL'S THIRD BIRTHDAY!" Hughes squealed. "You haven't forgotten, right? Because she is going to be _soooo_ disappointed if her Uncle Roy and her big brothers aren't there now that you're in town!"

Roy groaned. He knew there was no way he'd be getting out of it, and Elicia did have feelings that could be hurt, Maes was right about that. "Okay, Maes, but just prepare her that Ed might not be up to staying through the entire party." Roy rubbed his forehead, still feeling pretty emotionally drained himself after the week in Resembool and then being stuck on the train before being able to really process what had happened. "Me neither, for that part," Roy added, sighing.

"Roy? What's wrong?" Maes was sounding worried.

"Ed's nightmares were acting up for the entire stay and then we were stuck on a train for three days. None of us have been sleeping well for a while now." Roy paused a bit. "… And we buried Fullmetal's limbs four days ago."

Roy heard Hughes take a deep breath. "Where?"

"The Rockbells's garden. Listen, Hughes, I just want to go back to sleep. We'll be there, but just keep it in mind. It wasn't a countryside vacation we were on."

"Of course, Roy, I'll tell her. See you at three!" His voice rose slightly at the last word, clearly not able to keep a lid on his happiness. Roy put the phone down and took a deep breath. Al was looking at him from over by the couch where he was scratching Rolf's belly. "Dad?"

"We're invited to Elicia's third birthday party at three. I'm going to get some more sleep and then we'll go out to find her a gift, okay?" Roy said, giving him a little smile to show him that he wasn't angry, just tired.

"Okay, Dad. Go get some more sleep."

Roy saluted jokingly and smiled at him. "Then I'll see you in a few hours, Son."

Al nodded and so Roy walked back into his and Ed's room and got back into bed. He pulled the blanket back over them and brought Ed closer to his chest. Ed instinctively snuggled up to him and Roy smiled a little.

He was a bit worried about when Ed would begin sleeping on his own. Roy was afraid that the longer they put it off, the harder it would get for Ed to actually get to a point where it was okay to be alone at night. At the same time, Ed's nightmares were getting fewer (not counting Resembool), and not letting him have the comfort he associated with safety might cause him to need even more time to get used to sleeping alone and just cause them a major setback instead. Because Roy knew that his smell alone was enough to make the boy relax.

They had had a highly interesting discussion yesterday about smells. Roy knew that Ed had grown a lot more sensitive about smells after his captivity. Every single thing that didn't smell like the hospital and the Pentons themselves were a constant reminder that he wasn't imprisoned anymore. Also, Ed had lived a rather sheltered life in the countryside, only to be thrown into the major cities of Amestris. There were tons of smells he had never been subjected to before. It was hard to imagine how it must have been for him, to first be starved of the smells of his five-year-old existence in Resembool… To sit in a puddle of his own drying blood for four days, his nose assaulted by the smell of the two strangers constantly hugging and patting him while threatening to take everything away… Ed had told him the smells of that place made him sick and Roy had no trouble imagining that. Then there was the fact that the Roy-thing hadn't been able to recreate Roy's smell, apparently. The clothes smelled new and unused. Roy found it to be an interesting and possibly useful fact, but he guessed it made sense. Everyone had their own smell since birth that, among other things, allowed their mothers to recognise them. For some unknown creature to be able to instantly recreate that smell was ridiculous. Especially the scent of clothes as they absorbed all the smells that they had been exposed to. To recreate that just by looking at someone was even more of a scientific impossibility than being able to transform into someone else and that itself sounded like a work of fiction.

Roy still felt equally sick and angry when thinking about that thing scaring _his _son while wearing his form.

Then came the painful twist of pain as he remembered it turning itself into Fullmetal. And the panic it still brought that Roy wasn't sure if he would have the stomach to burn it if it was using Fullmetal's voice. If it was to protect his sons, then he would have to do it, he knew.

And deal with the nightmares that would follow.

Roy sighed, knowing that he needed to talk with Maes about what happened in Resembool, he just wanted to do so face to face and alone.

Roy put his face in his son's hair, breathing in his smell and feeling his strength return somewhat, his head clearing a bit. Ed had told him some interesting things about hugs and their smells as they sat in the jacuzzi and Roy had to agree that he was right, now that he thought about it. He loved Ed's scent. It was hard to describe, but it was really just warm and soft. Just like Ed was. It was a scent that made him smile with fatherly pride as it really just smelled of _his _sweet, lovable son.

Roy placed a kiss in those golden locks and hugged him tighter. According to Ed, there were different kinds of love and different kinds of hugs, which was why he was a selective hugger. There was also good love and bad love. Ed was sure, no matter how twisted and wrong it was in the way it was practised, that Lillian and Grant Penton did actually love him, but that it was a bad love. Ed had been awkward about it and seemed disgusted by it, though. Roy understood why, although not to the extent that Ed did, how unpleasant it must feel for Ed to think about the Pentons. Not just the terror of the nightmares and the torture, but the mere fact that there were two people (although only one after Grant Penton's execution) that thought they owned him. That hugged him and acted as though he was _theirs_. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stnad up just thinking about it. That was why Ed had told Roy that there were "good love hugs" and "bad love hugs".

Roy was at least happy to hear that his own were always the good ones.

Ed shifted a bit in his sleep and placed a small hand on Roy's waist, hugging him back, filling Roy with warmth and love and sleepiness instead of thoughts of anger and hate.

Roy smiled into his son's head. "Thank you Ed," Roy whispered. "You may need your Daddy, but trust me, Daddy needs you boys too."

* * *

**Dublith, ten years later...**

Nina woke up and threw her long, dungaree blue dress on before she stepped into a pair of sandals. She looked at the picture on her nightstand like she did every morning, taking in the three people kneeling beside the beloved dog between them. Mum and Dad were smiling along with her, all of them scratching Alexander's belly together. Uncle Mason had been kind enough to take the picture for them. "I miss you, Alexander," she said, picking up the picture and placing a kiss on the dog's head. She did so every morning, even if it had been two years now since he died. He was her greatest childhood friend after all, seeing as how Ed and Al were really more of her brothers than anything else.

She smiled at the dog one last time and then went into the bathroom, soon finding herself in front of the mirror where she undid the two long plaits, revealing masses of brown hair that reached all the way past her bottom. When it was loose like this, she really had to be careful that she didn't sit on it because that stung like nobody's business.

She brushed it carefully before parting it at the middle and remade her plaits, remembering sitting on her Dad's enormous lap as he gently taught himself how to plait her hair back when she was four. It had been surprising for her at first to learn that Sig Curtis may look big and scary, but her father really had a heart of gold and he was no grizzly but a gigantic teddy bear.

That was when nobody threatened his two girls that is...

She smiled at the thought and completed her plaits, deeming them satisfactory.

She walked downstairs and into the kitchen where her Mum stood frying an egg, undoubtedly having heard her waking up.

"Good morning, Nina, have you slept well?" she asked kindly, turning to her with a smile before returning her gaze to the egg in the frying pan.

"Yes, very."

She made pleasant conversation with her Mum as she ate before Nina washed her hands thoroughly in the kitchen sink before walking through the house to the door to the back of the shop. She smiled as she opened the door with her elbow, finding her father in the back of the shop, already working on a large piece of lamb. "Morning, Dad!" she said as she put on her apron and tied it behind her back.

Nina didn't expect him to turn around, after all, they prided themselves on their level of detail in preparing the meat. His voice was gruff and the bass nearly made the house tremble, but it was kind and full of love. "Morning, Sweetie, you wash your hands?"

"Of course, Dad!" Nina said, still smiling, knowing that he was really just teasing her as she completed the knot on her apron.

As usual, the knife came flying through the air and she caught it deftly between her index and middle fingers without really looking, before throwing it into the air, catching it by the shaft as it came twirling down again. She walked forwards and over to the ham on the bench and stood next to her father as she began expertly cutting through the meat, trying, once again, to convince him about giving her a puppy for her fifteenth birthday.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter forty-nine**

Ed watched as Daddy knocked on the door. Al was wearing his bow tie again and Ed was in his suit because Ed liked his suit. Daddy was wearing a silvery grey pair of suit trousers and a matching vest over one of his white shirts and Auntie Riza was wearing a cream-coloured dress that reached her knees and looked very pretty on her. She also had her hair down, making her look very different and yet the same as she did when she was wearing her uniform. Al was carrying the gift they had bought at the toy shop, a large water gun. They had spent a lot of time to decide, but water guns were always fun, weren't they? Auntie Riza certainly thought it was a nice gift and Ed really didn't want to go buying girly presents for Elicia.

Nor did Daddy.

The door was opened and Uncle Maes was grinning at them, Elicia standing in front of him, a big smile on her face. She looked up at Daddy, grinning. "Uncle Roy!" She then turned to Ed and Al. "Big brothers!"

Ed just waved, still not really seeing her as his little sister. When she was the daughter of his uncle, that would make her his cousin, right?

Al, on the other hand, chuckled and handed her the present with a "happy birthday, Elicia!"

Al was soon walking off into the house with Elicia and Auntie Riza, while Ed stayed close to Daddy and Uncle Maes. Ed still didn't like strangers and there were lots of them in the living room. And they were being loud and that made Ed uncomfortable. Birthdays back in Resembool were never this loud. They had always just been Ed and Al and Mom and Winry and Granny and Uncle and Auntie Rockbell.

"That is a very nice suit you got there, Ed," Uncle Maes said kindly as they stood in the hallway. "Did you pick it yourself?"

Ed nodded. "Yes. Me and Daddy bought it for the military ball."

"Well, you look really stylish!" Uncle Maes said, smiling widely, looking at Ed with his "how adorable!" look. "Can Uncle Maes take a picture?"

Ed looked up at Daddy who sighed before he turned his attention back to Uncle Maes again. "Only if Daddy is in it too," Ed decided. It was always easier to smile for the camera if Daddy was there too. Al and Daddy together with him made Ed smile no matter what, but Elicia was already in the living room showing Al her presents.

"Of course! And we need to get some pictures of you three kids together too and maybe a group photo before you leave!" Uncle Maes looked really happy and had his camera in his hand in a flash. "Come on, Roy!"

And so Daddy got down on his right knee next to him and placed Ed on his left leg like it was a chair before he gently placed his left arm around Ed's shoulders. Ed grinned and leaned into his shoulder, looking up at Uncle Maes just as the man took the picture. Ed then turned towards his Daddy and hugged him tightly, hearing the camera click a few more times.

Daddy hugged him back and kissed the top of his head in the way that Daddy did. It was different from how Mom used to do it, she was always so gentle and kind and would gently press her lips against his head. Daddy's were always bursting with love it seemed, so he would press his nose and chin against his head as well.

A few seconds later, Daddy gently put Ed back down on the ground and stood back up, gently ruffling Ed's hair. Daddy had talked to him earlier today that maybe they should go to the hairdresser to cut it because it was getting a bit long, but Ed had said no. Ed wanted to grow his hair out. He had seen the pictures of the old Ed and he liked the plait. It looked cool and Ed wanted one too. Daddy had looked a bit funny at that, as if he both wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, but after a few seconds, he had ruffled his hair and smiled, saying "I bet you'll look great with it."

And so Ed took Daddy's outstretched hand in his right and they walked behind Uncle Maes and into the living room. Ed's eyes widened at the number of people, there were about fifteen adults and Ed couldn't even count all the children, mainly because they kept running about. Ed noticed immediately that he was the only kid wearing a suit. That didn't matter, though. Ed was dressed in his nice clothes because that was what you did in someone's birthday party.

Suddenly a woman walked forwards, smiling. Ed had never met her before. She was in her thirties, wearing a light pink dress and she had red curls going down to her shoulders. She held a glass of lemonade in her hand and she looked at Ed the same way that Uncle Maes did right before he took a picture. "Hello, Sweetheart! My, you look like a perfect little gentleman!" She leaned down, smiling brightly. "What's your name?"

"Edward."

"Well, Ed, I'm Shirley and me and the other kids would love to get to know you better! Why don't you join us and you can make some new friends!" She then put a hand on his shoulder and led him towards the other corner of the room, although Daddy was following them closely. Ed couldn't see Elicia or Alphonse, so he guessed she was showing him her new doll like she said she would before they left. Uncle Maes had disappeared into the kitchen.

Shirley smiled even brighter than before. "Edward, can you show me how old you are?"

Ed looked up at her, sure that she was mocking him. It seemed that she wasn't because she was looking at his hand in order to give him a hint. She must have been thinking that he was younger than he was.

Well, Ed was going to show her how old he was.

He took a piece of chalk out of his inner pocket and sat down on the floor before he began drawing a transmutation circle on the floor.

"Nononono, Ed! You do not draw on the floor!" Shirley said, but Ed didn't pay any attention to her. He could hear Daddy holding her back. "Just watch," Daddy said.

Once Ed was done drawing the transmutation circle, he pressed his hands to it, activating it, causing a few of the guests around him to scream as the alchemic energy began crackling around him. Soon enough, though, Ed was sitting in front of a forty centimetre tall wooden number five and looked up at Shirley with crossed arms. "There."

Ed could see Daddy smirking beside her while she was staring at the finished product with her mouth hanging open.

Then some of the adults started clapping while a flock of kids ran over to him and Ed was getting uncomfortable with all the kids asking him if he was a wizard. "I'm an alchemist," he explained.

One of the kids poked him with their finger and said "you're it!" before he and everyone else ran off, leaving Ed confused and pretty sure he wouldn't like this party.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter fifty**

_Roy was sitting in his office, reading through a report. The door was opened and in strode Fullmetal, grinning, his red coat billowing behind him. "Hi, Dad! I'm back! Alphonse is coming in a few minutes too, he's helping a kid get her kitten down from a tree."_

_Roy smiled and pushed his chair out from behind the desk so that he could stand up and greet him properly, but the kid was too quick for him and had promptly sat himself down on Roy's lap and hugged him tightly. Roy chuckled and hugged him back. "So I take it the mission went well, Kiddo?"_

_"__Yeah, but it's good to be home again. Now, Dad, are we having stew as usual?"_

_"__Of course! It's what we always have when you get back home from a mission."_

_Fullmetal squeezed Roy once more and Roy placed a hand on the back of his head before kissing his forehead. "I've missed you, Son."_

_Fullmetal rested his head against Roy's right shoulder. "But I'm not your son, __**Colonel**__. You clearly didn't want me, so the Pentons made me into something else, didn't they? They killed me because you weren't there to be my Dad."_

_Shivers went down his spine at the words. "No! I wanted you! I wanted you to be my son!"_

_Fullmetal started to slowly turn to ashes between his fingers. "You didn't, Colonel. You were too late." Fullmetal was disappearing in front of him and Roy was terrified. "Please don't go, Ed!"_

_"__Sorry, Colonel, like I said, you were too late." And with that, all that was left were two metal limbs._

_"__NOOO!"_

Roy woke with a start, Maes was shaking his shoulder and looking at him with worry. Roy instinctively tightened his grip on Ed's shoulder. The boy was currently sleeping peacefully on his lap, curled up and with his left hand gently clutching the bottom of Roy's vest..

"Roy! You okay?"

Roy blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings. He was sitting in one of the armchairs in Maes's study. Him and Ed had retreated in here after a stranger had scared Ed shitless by placing a party hat on his head with a "here you go, Sweetheart!" Apparently that was one of the things Lillian had used to say as she forced the syringes into him. Roy had asked him if he wanted to leave, but Ed had said through his tears that he just wanted cake and a hug. And Maes, who had thankfully seen what had happened, had told Roy to take Ed to the study and he'd bring some cake soon.

Roy looked over at the clock on the wall, seeing that it had been over two hours ago, meaning that the party was over. Maes had brought them the cake after five minutes and Roy had sat there reading to Ed from a biology book from one of the bookshelves to calm him down. When Ed had said he was beginning to get sleepy, he had voiced a request that had brought Roy a slight twinge of fear.

He had asked him to _sing_ him a _lullaby_.

And Roy would never ever have the heart to tell him no. Also, he had had no reason to tell him no. They had been completely alone and Roy knew both the lyrics and their respective melodies due to growing up with plenty of young women doting on him and who had practically fought over who would be the one to tuck him in at night. They had never done anything untoward, far from it. They had just appreciated the break from having to watch out for drunk men groping them and were instead allowed to be big sisters for a sleepy orphan boy.

Which was also why Roy had had lullabies sung to him long into his teenage years.

No, the only problem had been that Roy wasn't much of a singer. He wasn't _bad_ per se.

…He just wasn't that _good_ either. And even if he reached the notes, his singing voice wasn't a nice one.

…Basically, he sounded like a hungry lion.

Yet those bright, golden eyes had shone with love and hope and he just hadn't been able to let him down. And so Roy had gently placed his hand on Ed's cheek and stroked it with his thumb as he began singing.

…And so it had turned out that hungry lions were apparently very soothing.

Roy didn't know when he had fallen asleep himself, but it couldn't have been that long ago.

"Hey! Roy!" Maes said, shaking his shoulder again. "You okay? You're pale as a ghost."

"Yes, I'm…" Roy thought back to why he wanted to talk to him in the first place.

**_"_****_You were too late…"_**

Roy sighed, feeling the painful twinge in his chest. "… I'm not okay."

"Nightmare?" Maes said, withdrawing his hand and straightening up.

"Yes. About Fullmetal."

Maes sighed heavily and walked over to the drinks cabinet. "You need a drink? I'm getting one myself. Elicia's asleep and Alphonse and Riza are helping Gracia clean up after the party."

"No, thank you. I've quit drinking."

Maes looked a bit surprised at that. "How long?"

"Since Fullmetal went missing."

Maes nodded. "You mind if I have one?"

Roy sighed. "You go ahead, Maes." Roy knew that his friend didn't want to make him uncomfortable if he had a problem with it, but it really wasn't a big deal. "It's not like I was getting rid of an addiction, Maes, that was years ago." Roy had gone through a rough time the first few months after Ishbal like so many other soldiers, but Hawkeye had helped him. He had used to enjoy the occasional drink ever since, but he only got drunk once in a while and never while he was alone. "It's just something that happened. The week Fullmetal went missing, I needed to keep my head a hundred per cent clear. Then suddenly I found myself looking after a five-year-old child that had gone through absolute hell and there wasn't really time… Then all of a sudden I was their father and Edward had taken my name and I guess I just didn't want him to pick up any old habits of mine I'd rather he left well alone…"

"…So you'd like a soda?" Maes offered.

Roy smiled weakly and Maes walked over to the mini fridge and took a glass bottle of the same brightly orange liquid that Ed had been sipping constantly throughout the party. He opened it and took a straw out of a plastic can and placed it in the bottle, handing it to him. Roy took it with a smile and sighed. "I'm not blaming you, Maes… It's just that with what the boys have been through, I don't want to risk them growing up thinking that drowning your sorrows in a bottle is a healthy way to do things."

Maes grinned and held up his glass, understanding that Roy had no problem with his occasional drinking. "Well, cheers!"

And so Roy held up his bottle and nodded with a fond scoff and then sipped his soda through his straw. He looked down at the sleeping boy on his lap and sighed heavily, using his free hand to gently stroke Ed's fringe out of his face. "He's growing his hair out. In a year's time, he'll be running around with a little plait bobbing up and down on his shoulders…"

Maes nodded, taking a sip of his drink, his eyes contemplative and understanding.

Roy sighed again. "I keep forgetting that they're one and the same. It catches me off guard. And I honestly don't know what to think of it. It's just so weird to think that this sweet boy here was the same one who would kick open my office door, insult me and swear like a sailor as he went along." Roy kept gently stroking his fingers through his hair, now that the action was seen as a comfort instead of a trigger for Ed to wake up screaming and shaking.

"I get you, Roy. I guess it just shows how much losing his mother affected him."

"And what replacing his mother and father meant for his childhood."

"At least he won't have to do that this time."

Roy sighed again and let those silky locks glide between his fingers.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter fifty-one**

Al knocked on the bedroom door, knowing it was two in the morning and that Dad was asleep, but Al needed to talk to him and knew that it would just hurt Dad if Al put it off and he found out later. And that would make Dad feel guilty.

…Just like it had been with Brother.

"Yes?" came a sleepy voice from inside the room. Al cautiously opened the door, slowly enough for Dad to stop him if he wanted. Al peeked inside, finding Dad looking up at him with worry from where he lay propped up on his right elbow and with his left arm over Brother's sleeping form. "Alphonse? Is something wrong?"

"You said to come to you anytime I needed to talk, right?" Al asked quietly.

"Of course. Please come in, Al." And so Dad leaned over to turn on the lamp above his nightstand. He then leaned over the edge of the bed and picked up the spare pillows that lay on the floor and placed them in front of the headboard.

Al carefully shut the door and walked as quietly as he could so as to not disturb Riza or Ed. Dad was already sitting up, his back against the pillows and his right hand on top of Ed's right cheek. Brother was still looking dead to this world where he lay next to Dad and was clearly not bothered by Al's visit. Dad then pulled his feet to him and smiled gently at Al. "Why don't you sit down, Son."

That soft warmth in Dad's voice as he said it was just like the one Ed had had in his on similar occasions and Al found it to fill him with confidence. And so he sat down on the bed about an inch from Dad's toes and looked over at him, twirling his thumbs as he tried to find out where to start. "I-I'm sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night like this, Dad…" Al began.

"Don't worry about it, Alphonse. I'd rather you come to me the second you need to than keep something in for hours on your own. So you just tell me what's wrong." Dad didn't look tired at all and it felt so good to see that he really meant what he was saying.

"It's about Da— … Hohenheim. I just don't know how to feel about him anymore…"

Dad leaned forwards and hugged his knees to him as he gently took Al's left hand in his own. Al was unable to feel it, but it was still comforting because it was a reminder that Dad saw him as just as human as anybody else. And so Al gently curled his own hand around his. "I-I heard some of what Brother told you about him yesterday … That Ed doesn't remember him ever be the one to start a hug… That he only remembers Hohenheim pushing us away. I didn't know that. I think Big Brother also forgot that but that he was still old enough for it to leave a subconscious scar. And I think it was hurting him ever since. Knowing that Hohenheim left such an emotional scar, it's made me think differently about him…"

"I'm sorry, Alphonse … And I just wish that I had been the one to be there to hug him first…"

"Don't blame yourself for that, Dad … **_I _**didn't even know." Al paused and then brought up something that he had been thinking about since they met Hohenheim, but only now had made his mind up about. "Dad? You know when we met him at the train station, he talked to me after you ran after Ed. He looked at me sadly and said "I guess you should go after your brother." And he didn't say anything else and I was worried about Brother so I just ran. Maybe I could have got some answers if I hadn't done that, but Brother is also more important… It's just … It's just that he thought that it was _okay_. That it was okay for me to leave! He … He … **_He didn't fight for us!_**" Alphonse hated that his body wouldn't let him cry. Because he needed it. He wanted so hard to be able to cry about Brother and to be able to cry about this. To just let it out. But he couldn't.

Dad had already jumped out of the bed and he gently leaned Al's head forwards so that he was leaning it on Dad's shoulder as he placed his arms around his head, cradling it.

"He just accepted it, just like that! He did look sad, but that was all! He cried about Mom, but he didn't even know that she was dead! He didn't ask how we were doing and he just left! How could he just do that? We're his sons!"

"Al, I'm so, so sorry."

"For twelve years I hung onto Mom's "he'll be back before you know it," but he was obviously planning to stay away for some time yet. I've been calling him Dad for such a long time, but all of a sudden, it just doesn't feel right anymore. Because he's not the person I thought he was for years. And besides, if anyone deserves that title, it's you. He's not our Dad anymore because he clearly gave that up with how he acted at the train station. He's our biological father, but you're our Dad."

* * *

"Dad? Riza told me once that Ed had a fire in his eyes the first time you met us… I'm just wondering, is it still there?" Al asked, looking up at Roy. It was half past six now and Roy had spent the night talking with Al about just about anything the boy had on his mind. In a way they were having a brainstorming session and one revelation made Al realise something else and so they just kept going. Roy didn't mind, this was his job as a parent and he wanted to keep his boys happy. He was always going to be there if they needed to unload what was on their minds.

And so Roy was currently sitting with his knees against his chest and his back against the headboard while Al was sitting with his legs crossed in front of him. "Yes, the fire's there, but it's different. It's not so angry. Stubborn as hell, yes, but it has a lot more of that childlike innocence. It's like you say, Alphonse, he just isn't as hardened by the world because he's still allowed to be the child he is." Roy gently stroked Ed's fringe out of his face.

Al sighed. "I miss him…"

"I do too, Alphonse…"

"But he's not the only one who's changed. I'm not the same as the one I was before this happened. Brother got a fresh start, but so did I. I don't want to have the same relationship with this version of Brother as I did with the old one. It wouldn't be right to Ed and I won't force him into becoming the old one. It would be an insult to my Big Brother and it is like Ed says: he just wants to be five. He wants to be himself and he wouldn't be that if I forced him to live in my Big Brother's shadow. He has his own life and his own choices and his own experiences and his own ways to handle them. And he has a Dad and so do I, and that changes a lot. I think I'm starting to get used to it now. And it helped to have the funeral. And I like to have a little brother like him. It feels right that he gets to have the childhood he was denied the first time around."

Roy felt a kind of aching warmth at Al's speech. "All I can say, Alphonse, is that I'm really proud of you, Son. And I'm sure that if Fullmetal had heard you, he would have been too."

"It's like you say, Dad: we have to keep moving forward, even if we have to walk through a river of mud." Al suddenly chuckled. "…And drag an inflatable turtle with us along the way."

Roy went from moved to mirthful in two seconds flat and then he was giggling along with Al.


	52. Chapter 52

**So this chapter is important, because I am introducing someone who will become a childhood friend of Ed's, so I hope you'll all like Charlie!**

* * *

**Chapter fifty-two**

Roy was walking with Ed on his shoulders, enjoying the warm weather of City Park, the largest park in Central. It had been Al's idea as something to do while they were waiting for Sheska to write down the research notes. The weather forecast promised them pouring rain for the next week, so they were going to enjoy this trip. And Alphonse had told him that there was a large playground that had newly been built that Elicia had been telling him about for ten minutes straight, obviously mesmerised by it, so they figured that Ed might like to try it out too while Al and Hawkeye walked Rolf. It meant that Roy was wearing civilian clothes as the uniform could be intimidating to the other parents and their children. And Roy wished for Ed to make some friends his own age.

And so they reached the playground and Roy could see why it had got Elicia so excited. It was really somewhere between a playground and a funfair in Roy's opinion.

"What do you think, Brother?" Al asked, a smile in his voice.

"I wanna play!" Ed said excitedly and Roy lifted him off his shoulders and put him on the ground. Ed was running for the playground the second his feet hit the gravel and Roy said a hasty goodbye to Al and Hawkeye before following his son.

Ed was immediately climbing up the ladder of a slide and Roy sat down at the last a available bench in the vicinity, keeping an eye on Ed while also keeping some distance. Roy thought that it was good for Ed to do fun things without basically clinging onto Roy's leg. After all, Ed should ideally be starting school in a year and that meant that the boy should be encouraged to feel safe around other kids his age. And so Ed was climbing, sliding, spinning and then doing it all over again, obviously determined to try everything out.

"Excuse me, sir, but would you mind if I sat here?"

Roy looked up to his right to see a pretty redhead in her mid-twenties look at him hopefully, holding onto her daughter's right hand to keep her from running away. The little girl had red pigtails and lots of freckles like her mother. "Of course not," Roy said, smiling.

The woman sighed gratefully and then let go of the hyperactive little girl's hand and they watched her run over to the first thing she could climb. Roy chuckled a bit, reminded of Ed who was currently climbing up the slide for the fourth time in a row.

"Thank you, sir," the woman said, placing her bag on her lap and pulling out a water bottle and drinking from it. "I really hope you're not some creepy bloke who comes to watch small children play." She looked like she was joking, but she was just a bit too anxious for the answer for it to have entirely been a joke.

Roy chuckled. "No, mine's the one on the slide." Roy pointed and Ed saw it and waved, and so Roy waved back.

Her smile relaxed and became entirely genuine. "He's so cute! What's his name?"

"It's Edward. He's five. How old is yours?"

"She's five too. Her name is Charlotte, but she'll only answer to Charlie, she's stubborn like that."

Roy chuckled. "I know that one, Ed can be amazingly stubborn at times."

It was the woman's turn to chuckle. Then her eyes widened. "Oh! And please don't think I'm trying to chat you up or anything! I'm a happily married woman of twenty-five! I'm not one of the vultures swooping down on single dads in the park!"

Roy raised his eyebrows. "You really didn't strike me as the type, so that's good."

"And you? Do you have a special someone? I mean, you don't have a ring, not that you can't have kids without a ring of course! No-no! That's perfectly all right!" She laughed nervously. "God! I really hope I didn't offend you!" She blushed, clamping her hand in front of her mouth.

Roy was telepathically trying to remind her to breathe. "No, there's no one. I adopted the boys last month so I'm pretty new to the whole thing." Roy didn't mind just chatting, especially as the woman seemed like she desperately needed to socialise.

"So there's not just Ed?" she asked quickly, obviously grasping at straws to get the conversation rolling again in order to forget her little outburst.

"Yes, his brother Alphonse, he's fourteen."

She gasped. "You're Colonel Roy Mustang, aren't you?!"

Roy was surprised. "Yes?"

"My older brother, he's a Lieutenant Colonel, he told me about the ball! That was such a nice thing you did for those poor boys!"

Then she hugged him. She threw her arms around him and squeezed him with surprising strength, then she let go and looked at him with a grin. Roy was honestly a bit shocked.

* * *

Ed was wondering what to make out of the sand in the sandbox. He didn't want to make a sandcastle and he had filled the plastic bucket with water from the little stream by the playground so that he could make the sand harder and shape it like he wanted. Ed suddenly heard another kid coming into the sandbox and next second, Ed had someone stop right next to him, just looking at what he was doing. Ed looked up at her: she had red pigtails and freckles and her face was unreadable. "Do you want something?" Ed asked.

"They're noisy," the girl said. "Can we make a turtle?"

Ed was a bit confused, but Ed _did_ think that a turtle would be cool. "Okay."

The girl looked a bit less confused and sat down and grabbed the other plastic shovel and they began making the shell first, Ed occasionally using water from the bucket to shape it correctly.

"You like turtles?" The girl asked, not looking at him, completely focused on their project.

"Yeah! Do you?"

"Mhm. We have two. Wally and Sebastian."

"That's so cool! We have a dog, his name is Rolf. But I have a really big inflatable turtle that I used on the beach! His name is Robert."

"That's cool, I'd like one too."

"I'm Edward Elric-Mustang, with a hyphen, who are you?"

"I'm Charlie Andrews." Ed liked that. It reminded him of the rubber ducky back home in East City. He began to wonder if Jimmy-Charlie was getting lonely after all this time.

They managed to make a thirty centimetre long turtle and it had a little smile. Ed was very proud of it and Charlie was smiling a bit.

Then suddenly a fat kid came running in and jumped on it, destroying their work. "HAH HAH! Now you have to start over again!" the kid said.

"That was mean!" Ed said, Charlie was looking shocked. Ed got to his feet and crossed his arms, realising that the other kid was bigger than him and at least seven. "You're gonna make Daddy mad!"

"Well, my Daddy is bigger than your Daddy!"

"My Daddy is stronger than your Daddy!" Ed said back.

"My Daddy can beat your Daddy anytime!"

"My Daddy can burn your Daddy with the snap of his fingers!"

"Cannot!"

"Yes, he can! He's the Flame Alchemist!"

"As if! You're just a liar and liars go to prison!"

"I'll show you! DADDY!"

The kid looked angry. "Liar!" Then he shoved Ed so that he landed flat on his bottom.

Then Ed heard sniffles from Charlie and saw that the bully had made her cry. She was still staring at their destroyed turtle, looking heartbroken and that made Ed really angry. You don't make girls cry, it was bad manners. Ed got to his feet and stood in front of Charlie to stop the boy from hurting her more and then grinned as the bully moved to shove him again, just as Daddy suddenly grabbed the boy's shoulder. "What's going on here?!"

"He ruined our turtle and made Charlie cry! And he called me a liar when I said that you're the Flame Alchemist!"

"And he shoved Ed…" Charlie said quietly, sniffing.

Daddy wasn't happy to hear that. He turned the bully around and looked at him sternly, pulling out his pocket watch and held it right in front of the boy's face. Ed walked over to Charlie and patted her twice on the back before he stroked it gently. "You see this?" Daddy said. "This is an official State Alchemist pocket watch. It shows that I report _directly to the Führer_. Do you still call him a liar?"

"N-no, sir!" The bully said, shaking his head.

"And furthermore, I just happen to have been appointed by said Führer to be this boy's bodyguard. So you tell me: are you going to shove him again?"

"N-no, sir!"

"And what do you say?"

"S-sorry, sir!"

Daddy turned him around to face Ed and Charlie. "And what do you say to them?"

"I'm sorry I ruined your t-turtle! And I'm sorry I shoved you!" He looked really scared.

"And you made her cry!" Ed said angrily.

"I'm sorry I hurt you!"

Charlie just looked up at him, not saying anything else.

Ed felt a bit triumphant and glared at the kid as Charlie sniffed again. "Now you promise not to be a bully anymore or I'll tell the Führer you attacked me!" Ed threatened.

The kid nodded and then Daddy let go of his shoulder and the boy ran away.

Daddy then put the watch back in his pocket and knelt down in front of Charlie, holding out his handkerchief. "Hi, Charlie, I'm Roy and I'm Ed's Daddy. Your Mum asked me to look after you while she went to find a toilet and she'll be here soon, okay?"

She only began crying more and so Daddy pulled her gently into a hug.

Ed, meanwhile, got an idea that would surely make everything better, so Ed grabbed a stick and began drawing up a transmutation circle in the sand. Ed then pressed his palms to it and grinned as he was about to fix things. When the alchemic crackling died down, Ed looked at what he had created and smiled widely. He had made a ten centimetre sandstone turtle that was even smiling. Ed picked it up and Charlie looked at it with wide eyes as Ed held it out to her. "Now you can have a Robert too!"

It was two minutes later that Charlie's Mum showed up and Charlie was gripping her Robert in her right hand and holding Ed's in her other one, walking up to her. "Mum? Can Ed come home to us tomorrow so that I can show him our turtles?"


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter fifty-three**

Al found it to be very encouraging that Brother had made a friend that was his age. Al had been worrying about it because Ed needed friends his own age and he hadn't really been working towards getting them so far. It was understandable, though: the two people that were their options had been kind of over-shadowed by Ed's trauma. Al was the one who had really connected with Nina because Ed had spent so much of his time being terrified of Tucker and Brother just didn't seem to be "compatible" with Elicia. Maybe it was the age gap. Three and five weren't that far apart, but Ed was also nearly twice her age. Maybe it was the way she had proclaimed them to be her big brothers without Ed's consent. Ed had met her only a week after the Pentons and it would make sense that he was instinctively trying to avoid being forced into any sort of familiar relationship. He seemed highly reluctant to let her call him that. He didn't mind Nina doing it, but she had done so after over a week of knowing him and Ed felt a lot more protective of her than Elicia, probably because he had been the one to pick up on what Tucker was up to. And Ed seemed to connect with Nina to some degree because they were both about to become the unwitting victims of the twisted people calling themselves their "parents".

But for Ed to just have someone to go on a playdate with would be very good for him. Just to have a regular friend. And Al had agreed with Dad that unless either Ed or Charlie specifically asked him to join them, then the two kids were going to be playing alone. Dad had told him that Charlie's mother was absolutely thrilled about their friendship because Charlie had a hard time getting friends herself. She had a tendency to avoid large crowds and noise because she got tired from it, not unlike Brother after what he went through. She usually avoided other girls her age too and she was a lonely girl, but she found it preferable to being in large groups.

In a way, she sounded like the ideal playmate for Brother.

But that also meant that her mother had gone all the way so that all four of them were invited for dinner.

And so Al was pretty excited in a way as he stood next to Ed, Dad and Riza on the doorstep of this new house with the turtles.

Al was grateful that Dad had gone with the agreed-upon lie that Al wore his armour because he got injured in the same accident as Ed did when Ed lost his limbs and had lots of scars and burns, meaning that he preferred to wear the armour and ate at home.

Then the door was opened and a grinning redhead was standing there with a little girl peeking out from behind her left leg. She looked scared and unsure, but very sweet.

"You found us!" the woman exclaimed happily. "Hello!"

Then she gave Dad a hug, followed by Al and Riza, but she shook Ed's hand, most likely having been told that Ed didn't like strangers hugging him.

"Well, I'm Audrey! So nice to meet you two as well! I'm sorry we had to leave yesterday before we got to meet you! Well, come in, come in!"

Then she stood back to let them through, while Charlie didn't move, but just looked at Ed. "Wanna see the turtles now?"

Ed nodded and next second, the girl had run upstairs without saying a word to the rest of them.

Audrey smiled at Ed. "You just follow her, Ed, that's no problem."

And so Brother kicked off his shoes and disappeared up the stairs after checking that it was okay with Dad.

Audrey chuckled as they came into the hallway and Dad and Riza removed their shoes and coats and handed them to Audrey who was eagerly waiting with two coat hangers. "Charlie's a bit shy with new people, but she'll warm up to you!" she explained fondly as she fumbled a bit with the garments, but made it work even so.

Al closed the door behind him and turned around to find Audrey standing so that she nearly crashed into him while her head was tilted up at him. "I'm so sorry that you lost your big brother in such a way, Alphonse."

Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him again.

* * *

Ed had learnt a lot of new things about turtles and was watching them where they stood in the upstairs living room, listening to Charlie talk about them with enthusiasm, explaining to him how to tell Wally apart from Sebastian.

"Hey, kids: it's dinner!" a voice said behind them. Ed turned around to have his eyes fall upon a man with dark grey hair in a loose ponytail who was smiling kindly at them, just before Charlie darted out of the room past him and in the direction of the bathroom. The stranger had a thin face and square glasses and was wearing a cream-coloured knitted sweater and plain grey trousers. He looked like he was about forty. "Hi, I'm Charlie's father. I didn't get to say hello earlier because I've been busy making dinner, but it's very nice to meet you." He held out his hand and Ed went over to shake it, noticing that the skin was just a bit dry. "That's a firm handshake you've got there, you'll reach far with a handshake like that," he said, smiling. Ed had a good feeling about this man, he was infectiously calm.

"Daddy taught me. We meet lots of people so it's really practical," Ed explained.

He kneeled down in front of Ed. "He's right about that. Well, I'm Terrence and I'm a GP."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Ed said. "I'm Edward Elric-Mustang with a hyphen and I'm an alchemist."

"Charlie told me. You're really an accomplished alchemist already, that turtle was very impressive."

"Thank you, sir."

"You don't have to be so formal, just call me Terrence."

"Okay."

He got to his feet again. "Well, now that that's in order, how about that dinner?"

"Mhm." Ed nodded.

"Then after you, good sir," Terrence said, teasingly, but not the mocking kind. More like he was having fun with the wording.

Ed walked past him just as Charlie returned from the bathroom, lifting her hands up for her daddy to see. "All washed up!" she announced and then she ran down the stairs.

Terrence chuckled fondly and smiled at Ed, but there was some sadness in his eyes. "She's been very excited about your playdate, she's not too used to other kids her age, so I hope you don't find her to be rude."

"Oh… That's fine …"

* * *

Once they were done with dinner, Charlie looked at Ed's forehead with her green eyes and opened her mouth for the first time since they started eating. She seemed just as fond of eating as he was himself. "Wanna see my room now?"

"Sure!" She had taught him a lot about turtles earlier and even if she was a bit different, she was kind and smart and liked animals.

…Besides, Ed was different too, but she didn't seem to mind, even when she knew about who he used to be and that he was really fifteen.

Apparently "But you're five now" was enough for her.

And so after a thorough introduction to her collection of plush hedgehogs, they soon found themselves jumping around on pillows and chairs in the upstairs living room, playing that the floor was made of lava.


	54. Chapter 54

**So... Three months since the last time... Writer's blocks suck... And I'm sorry, but I had like eight ideas for this chapter and somehow I didn't like them and then I got writer's blocks on them too, but then suddenly it was like it all just disappeared and I got to writing 1500 words in a few hours and made the chapter I wanted! So here you go, people! And I seriously hope I won't get another writer's strike, because I absolutely adore writing this story!**

**And, please, please, please review because it is very disappointing when I write chapters and they get 0 reviews. But please no flames, because they are so discouraging and are usually enough to cause writer's blocks in themselves.**

* * *

**Chapter fifty-four**

"Hey, Ed, you need to wake up…" Ed could feel Daddy shaking his shoulder, but he really didn't feel like waking up.

"Hmmf." Daddy stopped shaking his shoulder and Ed pulled the covers over his face to block out the light because the curtains had been pulled back as well as the the fact that the lamp that was hanging above his head was obviously lit.

And light was evil when Ed wanted to sleep.

Daddy pulled the covers off him with a sigh. "Ed, come on, we're going to HQ."

Ed just flipped over on his stomach, burying his face in the pillow instead. "Hmmf."

Daddy sighed and next second, Ed felt himself get lifted up into the air and was slung over Daddy's shoulder, Daddy holding his hand on Ed's back to secure him. "No fair!" Ed said, beating his fists on his back. He stopped soon, knowing he was beaten, so he pulled out his final weapon.

…Absolute limpness.

Daddy sighed again. "Ed, Sheska is done reproducing the notes."

Ed lifted his head up sharply, forgetting his sleepiness. "She has?!"

"Yes."

And so Ed found himself walking through the front doors of Central HQ about an hour later, all dressed up in his bright red raincoat and with his dark blue sweater and jeans underneath his open jacket. His new red rubber boots squeaked loudly as he walked and water was dripping from his coat.

Ed made a particularly loud squeak with his boots and he got an idea. He grinned and then ran forwards before turning ninety degrees sideways and giggled as the squeal of his boots was loud around him as he slid a metre on the floor. The HQ entrance hall floor was really brilliant for this. And so Ed did the same three more times before Daddy suddenly shouted and Ed saw him fail to grab his shoulder and then there was a large puddle on the floor and then Ed slid a lot longer than before and he lost his balance and fell sideways and onto his stomach and slammed his chin on the floor and felt tears in his eyes as he bit his tongue and then everything wasn't fun anymore and his chin and his tongue hurt and he was wet and cold and he began crying as Daddy lifted him up and held him tightly against his chest.

"It's okay, Ed. Are you hurting somewhere?" Daddy said, stroking his back.

"I bit my tongue!" Ed wailed. He was having fun just seconds before and now everything was wrong and he hurt and his right hand was stinging because Ed had slammed it flat on the floor when he fell and his knees were hurting too because the floor was hard.

* * *

Roy sighed inwardly, holding his sobbing son against his chest. As soon as he had seen the larger wet area that Ed had obliviously been heading for, he had tried to grab him, but Ed had been just out of his reach and now his son was hurt and crying. Roy had thought Ed would have stopped once he saw it, but he had realised a second too late that Ed had failed to see the small puddle in front of the lockers.

"Let's go look you over, Ed. Alphonse, could you see if you can dry up the floor so that nobody else falls? Hawkeye, please go inquire with maintenance why the mat in front of the lockers are gone," Roy said as he walked off towards the bathrooms, Ed still crying into his shoulder. He passed a few concerned soldiers, but quickly explained it with "wet floor," and they let him pass without any other questions. Ed seemed reluctant to speak, and Roy understood why, biting your tongue was never nice, and if Ed had bitten it hard enough to bleed, then that was going to make the boy's worries triple. Ed was always scared by his own blood, always fearing that it would warrant stitches, even when it was just paper cuts. Roy was worried that he could have broken the skin on his knees too for that part.

Basically, Roy hated seeing Ed hurt.

And he hoped that Ed was mostly sobbing over the fact that his fun had been abruptly cut off.

"Here we are, Ed, now let's get you looked over," Roy said, hooking his right foot under the nearest open stall door, opening it completely with a twist of his foot, before he made his way inside and sat Ed down on his lap as he sat down himself on the toilet lid. "Can you show me your tongue?" Roy asked.

Ed stuck his tongue out dutifully, revealing it to only be a bit swollen and slightly red on the tip. Roy smiled at him, stroking a thumb over his cheek before tilting his head back slightly to look at his chin. No broken skin, only redness and the slightly blueish spot of a beginning bruise. "It's all right, Ed, even if it hurts. There's no blood. Are your knees hurting?" Roy continued as he went through his checklist for potential injuries.

"Mhm," Ed said, sniffing, the worst of it seeming to have passed now that he knew his tongue and chin were okay. He was still shaking, though, and Roy could see that most of the front of his clothes was soaked through. HQ was never too hot temperature-wise as it was basically stuffed with soldiers dressed in uniforms made of wool.

Roy pulled off Ed's trousers and found his knees to be red and with a little purple dot in the middle, but no broken skin. Roy did the usual parenting trick and gently puffed on the knees and looked at Ed. "Better?"

In answer, Ed just looked up at him, his face still red from crying, a single tear going down his cheek as he lifted up his right hand, which was redder than usual and with cold water running down it. "Stings, Daddy."

Roy gently took his hand and grabbed a piece of toilet paper from the wall to his left and gently patted Ed's hand dry before puffing on it too. "How's that?"

"Better... I'm cold, Daddy."

Roy sighed, knowing he was, and also knowing that Ed would not like having jeans rubbing against the sore skin on his knees.

And so he went with plan B. "Then let's get you warm," he said, smiling at him as he pulled off Ed's raincoat and soaked sweater before he stood up and sat Ed down on the lid of the toilet, Ed looking up at him with joy, knowing that Roy was about to lend him his uniform jacket again. Ed always loved wearing it. Not as any sort of dress up, but because it reminded him of being safe and warm because that was the first piece of clothes he had been dressed in after being found and he loved it. And it was wool and would keep him warm, so Roy was just going to break dress code slightly and blame maintenance if anybody asked. Ed grabbed another piece of toilet paper and blew his nose and threw the snotty paper into the small bin next to him as Roy removed his coat and hung it on the peg on the stall and then unfastened his uniform jacket. Ed reached out his arms to Roy so that Roy could pull it around him and then button it up again, smiling at Ed as he took his discarded clothes and folded them over his arm before pulling his own coat over his shoulders without putting his arms inside. "You ready to go, Ed?"

Ed nodded and jumped off the toilet lid, obviously done crying. He was looking quite adorable with the way the uniform jacket was reaching down to his boots and the sleeves were reaching his knees. It was definitely too big for him. But at least it meant that he could build up a warm, woolly bubble inside it. And Roy would just walk through military HQ in his shirt, and if anybody protested it, then he would point to Ed and tell them that he was cold and he doubted that anyone would be able to resist Ed's sweet face when peeking so contentedly out of that overly large garment.

And the red boots were really just the perfect way to complete the picture of the walking and talking adorable innocence that was his youngest son.

Roy reached out and ruffled his hair. "Let's go back to the others and remember to be careful on the wet floor."

"Okay, Daddy."

Roy smiled again and then they headed out of the toilets and into the hallway, getting quite a few curious looks, but then everyone seemed to melt at Ed's happy face and the way his arms were making the long sleeves flap as he walked. They found Al and Lieutenant Hawkeye waiting in the entrance hall.

"Are you okay now, Brother?" Al asked, sounding a bit worried.

Ed nodded. "Got to borrow Daddy's jacket," he said as if it explained everything. "And I didn't need a single bandaid!" He smiled at that last comment and flapped his arms a bit more.

Al chuckled and Hawkeye smiled gently. "That's good, Brother."

"We'll dry his clothes with alchemy once we reach the office, the floor was too wet to draw up a transmutation circle," Roy explained.

At the reminder of where they were heading, Ed lit up and began running for the stairs eagerly, obviously thrilled to have a lead on getting his brother's body back. "Ed! No running!" Roy said, handing Hawkeye the wet garments before jogging to catch up with his sons, as Alphonse had already begun to follow his brother and had put a hand on his shoulder to slow him down.

And so they made their way to Maes's office, walking just a bit quicker than usual. The second Roy opened the door, his eyes fell upon a half-asleep brunette who was sitting in front of a desk stacked with mounds of documents, and Roy was beginning to understand just why it had taken the girl so many days to write it all down.

Upon hearing the door open, the girl looked around and then lit up. "Colonel Mustang! I did it!" she exclaimed brightly, pointing to the stacks of papers. "Written by Tim Marcoh: One Thousand Easy Recipes!"


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter fifty-five**

"How long's it gonna take, Daddy?" Ed asked. Daddy had explained to him about the code that the documents had been written in, so they were gonna go to the National Central Library to cross-check their references and find facts that could help them break it.

They were in the car that they were borrowing from HQ and Auntie Riza was driving while Ed was on Daddy's lap, looking out at the rain. Daddy had let him keep his jacket, so Ed was really happy and Daddy had even transmuted his socks so that they were extra long so that he didn't get chafing from the boots because he didn't have his trousers on because the fabric would hurt his knees. But his boxers kept his legs warm and the jacket went down to his boots so everything was perfect.

So now Ed was nice and warm and it smelled safe and good and everything was great because their lead hadn't gone up in smoke like he had first thought, and Uncle Maes had even bought him a lollipop.

So Ed didn't really care that his knees and chin still hurt a bit.

"We can't really tell for sure, Brother. It really depends on how complicated the code is," Al said from the seat in front of them. "But we'll break it, don't you worry."

Ed smiled and nodded, sucking at his lollipop. It was a really large, round one in several different colours and Ed knew he had to brush his teeth carefully tonight. Uncle Maes had given it to him because he was really excited about being an uncle, so he had now made it a kind of personal mission to get Ed to kiss his cheek.

Which made it a bit fun to see his face when Ed didn't give him a peck, because Uncle Maes looked funny with all that exaggerated disappointment. So Ed had poked his cheek instead with a "no."

But Uncle Maes wasn't gonna give up, which was gonna be really fun to watch and Ed was gonna enjoy every sweet that it earned him.

"Al, I'm gonna hug you really tight when you get your body back," Ed told him.

"Then I'm gonna hug you even tighter, Brother," Al said, a big smile in his voice.

"Which means that I'll hug both of you the tightest," Daddy said, making them laugh. And so Ed just leaned into his chest for the rest of the drive, enjoying the warm hug and his lollipop and the way Al reached forwards and patted his head.

When Auntie Riza parked the car, Al leaned forwards to open the door and Daddy helped lift Ed back on the ground.

Ed's eyes went wide when he saw the giant building in front of them. They hadn't been here last time because dogs weren't allowed inside, but now Rolf was being looked after by Auntie Gracia and Elicia until they came and picked him up later.

Al, Auntie Riza and Daddy all started carrying the heavy boxes filled with the research documents, so Ed walked in front of them, leading them up the stairs. It was even bigger inside than he had thought it would be. There were signs pointing to different sections and even a map over the building and the separate branches.

And there were **so many** people, so Ed grabbed the outer covering on the left trouser leg of Daddy's uniform. There was a reception desk in front of them, so they walked over to one of the smiling ladies sitting there. Daddy pulled out his State Alchemist pocket watch and there was some talk about getting a private room in the part of the library closed off to the general public that State Alchemists had access to.

Ed heard a lot of noise behind him and turned around to see a large group of what he thought were college students.

Then his eyes fell upon a woman who looked way too much like Lillian and who seemed to recognise him, gasping.

Before any of the others had seen what the problem was, as soon as she took a step towards him, Ed screamed and ran away as quickly as he could, disappearing in between the crowd.

He didn't know where he was running. He ran through hallways and in between bookshelves and up a couple of stairs, people asking and talking and some even trying to grab his shoulders, but Ed just dodged them and ran in between their legs, frightened tears going down his cheeks and panic was making his tummy hurt. He didn't even know when he lost his lollipop, only that he was running and that Lillian could be anywhere. All these people could be her. All the hands could belong to her. He had to get away.

"Hey, kid! Where are you going?!" A loud voice suddenly said as he felt a pair of big arms grab his shoulders and Ed screamed again. "Where's your parents?!" the man said, pulling him back and turning him around. The man had dark brown hair and a green sweater, looking perfectly normal. People were gathering around him as Ed began sobbing loudly with fear and panic. He was trapped and Lillian could come any second. He looked about him for an escape, but people were everywhere. "LET ME GO! SHE'S GONNA TAKE ME! **DADDYYYYY!**"

"What are you doing to that boy?!" a woman exclaimed to his right. "You're hurting him!"

"**LET ME GO!**" Ed screamed, trying to shake himself loose, but the grip was still as firm as ever, making him even more panicked and even more people were talking and flocking around him and being big and scary and Lillian could be hiding anywhere between them and Ed sobbed, just waiting for the feeling of a needle in his neck and then he'd be dragged off to the hospital again. "**LET ME GO!**" he shrieked. The room was beginning to spin slightly. There were too many people here. Too many dangers. Too much of everyone and everything and he couldn't get away and the hands released his shoulders and Ed still couldn't escape and people were yelling and shouting and surrounding him even more and he just curled in on himself on the floor because his chest hurt and he was too dizzy. _**"DADDYYYYYY!"**_

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he shrieked. **"GET AWAY! PLEASE!"** Ed sobbed, gripping his knees, his eyes shut tight. Everything was too loud and too close and he couldn't breathe because everyone was everywhere and anyone could try to hurt him. **"GET AWAY FROM ME!"** Ed kept wailing, trying to breathe. He felt himself shivering and he had to breathe because he couldn't just pass out when he didn't know where he was. But he had to protect himself when people wouldn't let him run away. He had to get away and protect himself and breathe. People were talking and touching and Ed screamed and kicked at every one of them and then felt a piece of chalk in the inner pocket of Daddy's jacket and Ed breathed and cried and sobbed and drew up a transmutation circle as quickly as he could and kicked and screamed at the people around him who tried to stop him before he activated the transmutation and made himself a small, wooden box from the floor with a little hole for air, but where nobody could touch him because there wasn't a lid. Daddy had taught him how to make them in case Ed needed to protect himself quickly.

People kept making noises and shouting and banging on his box, but Ed was safer in here until Daddy came and saved him, and so he just kept sobbing and trying to breathe because he couldn't pass out because Lillian might still be coming for him before Daddy came.

And so he just looked at the little hole in front of him, panicking when he saw that somebody was sitting in front of it, knocking on the box, shouting about how they needed to get him out of there. **"GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM** **ME! PLEASE!"** Ed screamed. _**"DADDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"**_

* * *

Roy cursed as he made his way through the crowd to get to his screaming son. He had merely needed to find the confused crowd to find Ed. A terrified five-year-old with no parents in sight could cause large crowds in a matter of minutes, especially in a large place like this. Which also resulted in the fact that no matter how loud his son was shouting, it was barely audible over the voices and shouts from the confused and concerned crowd.

When Ed had set off running, an unknown woman who looked extremely like Lillian Penton had been staring at them, horrified. However, Roy had also been able to tell that she was too young, and so he could only guess that they had met Lillian's little sister.

**"Go find Brother!"** Al had shouted, grabbing the boxes in Roy's hands, and so Roy had left Hawkeye and Alphonse to deal with the woman who didn't seem to have any intentions of harming any of them, and if she did, then she'd be no match for those two.

Roy had run through most of the library, inquiring with people he met about whether they had seen a blonde boy wearing a blue uniform jacket.

He didn't care that people were blaming him for being a bad father. He didn't care about anything other than finding his terrified son because concerned crowds were only going to make his terror spike even further.

And so he ploughed his way through a group of people that were being very concerned about the shouts and screams coming from his son while a couple of librarians were trying to control the masses with very poor results as it only agitated the crowd further because everyone was going to help the child and had to get through because everyone else was obviously doing it wrong and everyone was going to be the hero of the day.

He couldn't see Ed, he could only hear faint screams for his Daddy to come save him.

**_"THAT'S MY SON SO LET ME THROUGH!"_** Roy shouted, his voice louder than ever before as he continued ploughing his way through the crowd. His chest was hurting, his panic making his heart beat harder than ever. He had to shout a lot to get people to get the hell out of his way. Ed began screaming louder, obviously hearing Roy, but Roy had a bad feeling that it wasn't because he heard his Daddy, not with how angry Roy was sounding, but the Roy-thing. He needed to shout to get the people to let him through, however, and he was cursing inwardly with every shout. After what was far too long and then some, he finally caught a glimpse of the small, transmuted box that contained his sobbing son. **"EVERYONE SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET ME THROUGH TO MY SON!"** Roy shouted for a final time, giving the crowd around him a glare as the last ten people blocking his way froze and let him through to the sobbing box containing his son.

He kneeled down in front of it. "Ed, it's okay, it's just Daddy and I'm getting you out of there," Roy said, not even sure if Ed could hear him over his terrified shrieks and the loudly murmuring crowd. Roy pulled out a piece of chalk from his trouser pocket and transmuted a lid, earning even louder shrieks of fear, confirming his suspicions that Ed wasn't actually able to hear that he was there. His guts were being wrenched apart by it all, not wanting to scare Ed even further, but knowing he had to, and so he gently lifted the lid off, finding Ed trembling and screaming, eyes squeezed shut and his hands over his head protectively. Roy could barely keep his own tears away at the sight of his son like this.

He reached in and picked Ed up, barely avoiding the bites and kicks and screams as he brought him close to his chest. It was very impractical that the thing that was most comforting to him was also Ed's number one panic trigger until he recognised who it was. "Edward, it's okay, Daddy's here," Roy said, holding the screaming and thrashing child close, gently tilting his head so that he could look right at Roy's face, but his eyes were still squeezed shut. "Edward, look at me, it's Daddy. Not the Pentons, not the monster from Dublith, only Daddy," Roy said patiently, wishing that Ed would look at him.

**_"PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME BACK_ _THERE! PLEASE!_"** Ed screamed, and Roy held him tighter, trying to use the one thing that would always snap Ed out of his nightmares. Ed was blinded by panic and Roy held his son's face tightly to the crook of his neck, knowing that the one thing that Ed could use to tell Roy apart from the Roy-thing at any time, was the way that Roy's scent was the thing that that monster couldn't replicate.

Ed screamed and moved to bite him, but then he paused, his face pressed against Roy's neck, still sobbing. "D-Daddy?" he cried.

"Yes, Ed, it's Daddy. Daddy's right here and you're safe," Roy told him, sighing with relief, hugging Ed tightly in a way that wasn't restraining this time as Ed slung his arms around his neck, wailing. There were still a lot of mumbling people and Roy could spot several disapproving faces and people were talking about him being a bad parent behind his back as Roy gently stroked Ed's back and kissed his cheek. Ed was still sobbing, trembling, scared stiff, his breathing uneven and he flinched every time someone spoke a bit louder than the others. It was clear to him that Roy hadn't saved him just yet, but had merely come to protect him.

"Let's get you out of here, Son," Roy said, standing up. Ed just kept sobbing and Roy glared at anyone who tried to stop him. "Nobody's going to hurt you. You're safe."

He passed a librarian on the way who seemed very confused and intimidated by his uniform. "I'll make sure somebody comes here to fix the floor, but right now I need to get my son away from here. I'm sorry about any trouble this may have caused," Roy told her.

She looked at Ed who was still sobbing and hugging Roy tightly around the neck and nodded in sympathy. And so Roy made his way through the crowd, ignoring any questions he got from the condescending and concerned people who had resulted in Ed getting a nervous meltdown worse than any of the others he'd had before.

Roy spotted a bathroom and went inside, getting some privacy from the clueless masses as he locked the door. Ed was covered in snot and tears, but he didn't want to let go of Roy so that he could clean it up. He only sobbed louder when Roy tried to disentangle him even slightly, and so Roy only hugged him tighter, Ed gasping in between sobs. "N-no!"

"Ed, it wasn't Lillian and Al and Auntie Riza are talking with her right now. You're not going to be attacked. You're safe. You're safe," Roy told him softly as Ed just kept sobbing for the next five minutes straight.

There was no way in hell that Ed was going to be staying here, but they needed the resources from the library to cross-reference parts of the code. Which meant that Roy and Al would need to stay here. "Ed, do you want to go back to the hotel?"

"But we hafta break the code!" Ed protested, sobbing even louder, leaving no doubt.

Roy sighed, but then he came up with an idea that might just work. "Only me and Al need to work on the code. What do you think about spending the day at Grandma's with Auntie Riza until me and Al can come and get you?"

Ed was sobbing for about a minute, thinking it through, before he nodded slowly.

"Then let's go find a phone and a lot of ice cream while Al and Auntie Riza gets the stuff ready in a private room and then you and her can go to Grandma's and you can pick Rolf up along the way too," Roy said, feeling guilty relief flooding him. This was really bad timing and this was the best way to do this.

Ed nodded weakly and sniffed, his sobbing dying down a bit and just being replaced by silent tears.

Ten minutes later, they found Al and Hawkeye standing by the reception desk, Al somehow looking worried even if it shouldn't be physically possible with the armour. The mysterious sister wasn't anywhere to be seen, which was a relief. Ed hadn't shifted from Roy's neck at all and he was still trembling a lot.

"Hawkeye, please arrange with a private room while I go make a phone call and get Ed a lot of ice cream. Alphonse, would you be all right with helping her?"

"Of course, Dad! But what about Brother?" Al asked, worry evident in his voice.

"He'll be going to your Grandma's together with Lieutenant Hawkeye and Rolf while we stay here, working on the notes." Roy gave him a look saying that he'd explain more later, but right now he just needed to get Ed away from this place as soon as possible. Hawkeye, thankfully, seemed to have guessed where this was going already, and went over to the reception desk.

"I'll see you soon, Al," Roy said, hating to leave his son here like this, but the sooner they fixed this, the better, and Al would be able to help carry a lot more than any of them.

"Of course, Dad, just get him some ice cream," Al said.

"I will," Roy said, carrying Ed with him down the street, knowing that there was a phone box just around the corner next to a small grocery store. He decided to get the ice cream first, getting soaked on the way over, and ended up buying Ed a one-litre can of chocolate truffle ice cream with cookie dough pieces and one of the employees was nice enough to give them a spoon from the employee room, free of charge.

And so Ed was slightly sated by the ice cream and was eating it rapidly, being held in one arm while Roy stood inside the phone box, phoning his aunt.

"This is Madame Christmas speaking."

"Hey, Madame, it's Roy," he told her, giving her a chance to decide if she wanted to make sure the conversation was completely private before speaking further.

"You're sounding worried, Roy, what's going on? Are the boys okay?" she asked almost instantly.

"We ran into Lillian Penton's sister while working, so would you mind having Ed and Hawkeye staying with you for the day? They'll be bringing Rolf too."

"I see, of course, Roy, they can stay here as long as they need, but all of you'd better be coming for dinner too at some point."

Roy was thankful that there were a lot of explanations that wouldn't need to be given at the moment because his aunt was both very good at reading between the lines and was able to work with the most important details. She would ask Roy later, of course. "Thank you, they'll be coming in about twenty-five minutes, then."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Roy was standing inside their private room together with Al after having said goodbye to a red-faced and newly cleaned up Ed who, for the first time, was letting himself be carried by Hawkeye, Ed still clinging to his half-eaten ice cream can, looking at the building fearfully, his lips trembling.

It was clear that Ed had just had a major setback. But one that would have to be dealt with later when Ed was somewhere he felt safe.

"Dad, what happened to him?" Al asked worriedly, his voice full of pain from seeing Ed that way.

Roy looked up at Al sadly, his stomach clenching. "Al, I don't think Ed should be around large crowds anymore, he hasn't been that scared since the attack in Dublith, and even then he didn't get as shaken up by it as this. I don't... I don't know how much this is going to affect him, but right now, we just needed to get him somewhere he feels safe."

There was the sound of crumpling paper and Roy looked to see Al clenching his hand around a note. "Al, what's that?"

"Lillian Penton's little sister's address. She asked us if we could come visit someday to talk about it all, but only if we felt up to it. She was really sorry about everything, but she had received a gag-order from the military so we can't speak about what happened in public. I don't really know what to think, because she's actually a nice woman," Al said, sounding both angry and miserable at the same time.

Roy put his hand on the one holding the crumpled up note, not knowing what to feel about it either. After what had just happened, he felt like burning the note, but a part of him was actually interested in hearing what this woman had to say. "Alphonse... How about we leave it for later when we're not so busy?"

Al nodded and Roy took the note from him, folding it up and placing it inside the pocket of his coat that was lying folded over a chair. Ed was still wearing Roy's uniform jacket.

Roy felt like slamming his fist on the desk in front of him, but instead he sat down in the chair, grabbing a pen. "Come on, Son, let's get to work so that we can have that family hug."

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**Thank you so much for those lovely reviews last chapter, they really made my day, so please keep them coming! :D 3**

**(And no flames, please ;))**


	56. Chapter 56

**I'm back with a new chapter and it's time for some Auntie Riza! :D**

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**Chapter fifty-six**

Riza was worried as she got inside the car, Ed still trembling, pushing himself into her chest as she moved to place him on the seat next to her. "N-no!" he exclaimed. "P-please!"

And so she just put her arms around him instead, to which he flinched, but then buried himself in the embrace. Riza found she didn't care much that she was getting ice cream on her uniform. She had never seen Ed as frightened as this, so shaken and trembling with fear. It was heartbreaking, especially when thinking that this had once been her colleague. This had been the Fullmetal Alchemist.

And this was what had happened to him.

Even after two months, her anger with the Pentons hadn't subsided at all. It never would. In fact it had even grown now, which she wouldn't have thought possible hadn't it been for the trembling child on her lap.

"It's okay, Ed, if you want to sit on my lap, you can," she told him softly. "Are you ready to go?"

Ed just nodded once into her chest, and so she gently started up the car, to which Ed winced slightly at the noise and pressed himself even further into her.

He spent the entire drive over to the Hugheses pressed against her like that, whimpering at any loud noises they heard. The Colonel was very right that they needed to get Ed somewhere that he felt safe as soon as possible.

Ed had finished his ice cream by the time they pulled up outside the Hughes house. "Okay, Ed, do you want to stay here in the car while I fetch Rolf or do you—" She didn't get any further before Ed had thrown his arms around her neck, his small legs clamped around her waist.

And so she stepped out of the car, holding him securely in her arms, more as a precaution than a necessity with the way Ed clung to her. Although mostly it was just to hug the small child who certainly needed his Auntie to hold him right now.

She knocked on the door, hearing familiar barks from inside the house, to which Ed at first flinched, but then relaxed slightly with recognition.

The door was opened and Elicia stood there with a big and happy smile at her early visitors. "Big Brother! You came early!"

Ed began sobbing, leaving Elicia highly confused and upset, but Gracia thankfully came to their rescue and picked up a (now crying herself) Elicia into her arms, looking at her and Ed worriedly. "Lieutenant, what's wrong?"

"He's crying, Mommy, and he won't say why!" Elicia cried miserably.

Ed just sobbed louder, holding onto Riza even tighter.

Gracia stood back, letting them inside from the torrential rain, telling Elicia that it was all right, knowing from Riza's look that Elicia was better off not knowing what was going on.

"Ed's having a bad day and needed his puppy," Riza said kindly. "We're going to his grandma's, we just needed to fetch Rolf first. I'm sorry it's such a short visit."

Gracia looked very sad and bit heartbroken at Ed's behaviour, but she smiled bravely all the same. "Of course, Lieutenant Hawkeye," she said. "We'll go get his things right away," she said, leaving for the kitchen.

Rolf was standing by Riza's feet, him too looking worried at Ed's behaviour.

Ed's sobbing died down a bit after a minute, just in time for Gracia to return with all of Rolf's equipment stuffed inside his travelling cage that also worked as a very comfortable bed, while Elicia was tottering forwards with a wicker basket covered by a large piece of chequered cloth. "Hafta help cheer Big Brother up!" Elicia announced, Gracia smiling, and so all of them walked out into the car, Rolf obediently walking next to Riza before jumping into the car, seating himself on the passenger side next to them as Gracia and Elicia loaded the other things inside the backseat.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hughes," Riza said, before looking down at Elicia who still seemed highly worried at Ed's behaviour. "And you too, Elicia. We'll try to come visiting you again soon. Thank you for looking after Rolf for us and for the cheering up present."

"Hope your bad day turns good soon, Big Brother," Elicia said miserably before Gracia picked her up and went back inside the house, standing in the doorway to wave them off.

It was ten minutes later that they arrived at the bar, and Riza parked the car next to the one she recognised to belong to Madame Christmas. "Here we are, Ed," she said, Ed was still clinging to her neck, Rolf having rested his chin on Ed's right leg where it was curled around Riza's waist.

Ed just made a little "m," in response to the statement, and Riza moved to open the door, just as Madame Christmas herself came walking towards them, looking disapprovingly at the way Ed was still clinging to Riza, but out of concern at Ed's behaviour, not because she thought they were doing something wrong. "Here's your Grandma, Ed," Riza told him, as she opened the door, to which Ed finally disentangled himself slightly in order to look up at his adoptive grandmother.

"G-Grandma?" Ed asked croakily, sniffing loudly on a lot of snot that definitely needed to be emptied into a Kleenex.

"That's right, kiddo. Now there's a warm bath waiting for you upstairs with a five-piece set of zoological animals that are very interested in meeting you and hearing what you will name them," she told him gruffly, but smiling slightly. "So how about you and Auntie Riza do that while I make sure to bring the rest of your things back inside?"

Ed's lips were trembling. "Th-thank you, G-Grandma. Can Rolf come too? He's n-not gonna jump i-into the tub."

"Of course, Ed. And there are clean and warm clothes waiting upstairs for both of you, I found a box of your father's old ones in the attic."

Riza nodded gratefully at her, guessing that whatever she would be borrowing for herself would be either a disguise or something else that belonged to one of the waitresses. Either way, Riza wouldn't say no thanks to some warm clothes instead of soaked wool stained with ice cream, snot and dog drool.

Ed leaned back and hugged Rolf around the neck as the puppy instantly used the opportunity to try to cheer him up and thereby jumped up between Ed and Riza, placing his front paws on Ed's shoulders.

Which meant that Riza ended up walking through the back door of a hostess bar, carrying a small child and a puppy to her chest.

But at least distraction tactics seemed to do the trick for Ed now that he was in a safe environment and he didn't have to meet anyone else than his Auntie and his Grandma and his puppy. So Riza soon found herself walking inside the bathroom, discovering the contents of the tub filled over the brim with foam and with five small rubber animals lined up on the edge of the tub. There was a giraffe, a hippo, a lion, a zebra and an elephant, all of them fat and friendly-looking with cute smiles and large eyes.

Ed sniffled again. "Th-those are n-nice," he said tearfully.

"Is it okay if I put you down now, Ed?" Riza asked kindly.

Ed seemed torn. "P-promise you'll stay?" he asked, looking up at Riza with wide, scared eyes, red from tears.

"Of course, Ed," Riza said.

"Then you can p-put me d-down now a-and I'll turn my back so you can change, A-Auntie."

Riza felt a sort of warm terror at the prospect. She had never played with Ed before while Ed was in the tub, that was always something that he did with his father. For some reason, it brought it home to her that she had actually become Ed's Auntie and was being treated as such.

Well, she wasn't about to crush this boy's current rising happiness after what had just happened, and so she smiled and put Ed down, and Ed dutifully turned his back on her, hugging and petting Rolf as she changed into a singlet and a pair of skinny jeans that had been laid out for her next to a maroon fleece jumpsuit for Ed. Riza smiled slightly to herself at the thought of a little Roy Mustang walking around in it. She had seen that there was actually a second pair of skinny jeans for her under a blue-and-green-chequered blouse and a white t-shirt. She had a feeling that it was because her first change of clothes would probably get wet from helping Ed bathe, and so she decided that there was no point in wearing socks either until after Ed's bath. She folded her uniform neatly and turned towards Ed, smiling. "So, Ed, let's get you into that tub, shall we?" she said, walking up in front of him and gently helping him out of his clothes, before lifting him under the armpits as Rolf stood back, and she gently placed him inside the warm water. "There, Edward, how's that?"

Ed gave her a weak smile and a small nod.

"Then let's just blow your nose and then we can name these five new friends of yours."

* * *

When the library was about to close, Roy walked through to the exit together with Alphonse, only to find a woman looking at him sourly the second she spotted Roy, and she crossed her arms, glaring. "You! So you've been hiding here until closing time, is that it?! Hiding behind your rank?! Using it to scare people away?" she demanded, striding forwards, her brown curls bobbing up and down on her shoulders, her light pink sweater too tight over her slightly wobbling stomach. She wasn't fat per se, she was just a bit overweight, and her dark blue trousers appeared to be digging into her stomach a bit too much, judging by the way it curved unnaturally under the sweater.

Basically, she was the type of woman who was "always right", contrary to the evidence.

And right now she had a very strong opinion and was jabbing him in the chest with her right index finger. "Well, I'm going to tell you, mister, I'm not scared of you!" she declared. "You know, my sister works for child protective services and I will make sure that she hears about this! And from a military officer no less!"

Roy found himself so pissed off with her that he'd let her finish, only to make her eat her own words and knock her down a peg or two, but preferably five.

"So who was it that hurt him? You've got that single father look, so I guess that means an ex-wife? You soldiers with all your violent lives aren't too bothered by a bit of domestic violence until it goes too far, are you? What did she do then? Break his arm? Push him down the stairs? And I bet you only watched her as she did it too, didn't you? That's why he was so scared at first. You let her hurt him, didn't you? And then you felt guilty so you divorced her and now he's so scared that she'll come and take him, so he's settled with you, is that it?! He's too scared that both his parents will leave him because he still loves you and doesn't know any better?! You're disgusting, taking advantage of an innocent child's love like that!"

Roy was about to interrupt her in his fury for saying something so disrespectful about Trisha Elric and right in front of Alphonse no less, but this cow wasn't done with Roy and wouldn't let him speak.

"And just where is that poor boy now, huh?! You just disposed of him once he'd stopped crying?! You just abandoned him when he needed his Daddy the most?! You're the scum of the earth!" she said furiously, and then she slapped him, glaring at him.

When she moved to slap him again, Roy grabbed her wrist, doing everything he could to keep himself from holding her wrist any tighter than necessary. "_You listen here, you self-righteous bitch_," Roy hissed at her. "_First of all, I have grounds to have you arrested and given a sentence for at least ten years in prison for hitting a State Alchemist and causing harm to my boy whom I just happen to have been assigned by the Führer himself to guard because he was kidnapped two months ago by a couple of torturers who used alchemy to turn the Fullmetal Alchemist back into a five-year-old and thereby stealing the past ten years of his life from him, including the memories of his mother's death who was also one of the kindest and warmhearted mothers you could ever imagine. Secondly, I want you to apologise to my other son right this fucking instant for saying those things about his mother when he's standing less than a metre away from you!_" Roy growled. "_And before you ask, what I mean by you causing harm to my boy is that you, with all your delusions of superiority and knowledge about children, failed to do the one thing he told you to, namely leaving him the hell alone instead of multiplying his fear tenfold because he spent four days in that form, being tortured and hugged by a couple of maniacs who were calling themselves his parents and leaving him terrified of strangers touching him or cornering him in that way, which is why, as I had to act on the orders of the Führer no less and stay here, I sent him, with his other bodyguard who happens to be his honorary aunt, to his grandmother's as he felt safer there after you and the rest of you clueless bastards have now succeeded in making him go from sceptic to terrified of strangers, crowds and large buildings because you couldn't listen to him! And before you say anything else stupid, the reason he managed to run off like that was because our hands were full of important military documents and so those other concerned idiots like yourself kept me from reaching him for a good ten minutes! So now I suggest you get off that high horse of yours, beg my son here for forgiveness and get the hell out of our way so that we can get back to him!_" Roy finished, glaring as he released her wrist.

The woman apologised to Alphonse and ran off in tears and Roy didn't feel bad about it at all, especially as the code had turned out to be ridiculously hard to crack and so they would probably need to spend days in here separated from him while Ed needed them the most, but would get even worse if they prioritised him because of his stubborn selflessness.

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**And please keep the reviews coming! And I swear that there will be a lot more Auntie Riza in the upcoming chapters, so I hope you'll like it! :D**


	57. Chapter 57

**So, I don't want to be annoying or nagging or anything, but I just really want to ask you people to review! There are quite a few chapters where there are none and it's rather disappointing. Also, positive reviews have a habit of making me update quickly!**

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**Chapter fifty-seven**

Ed was sitting in the living room with Auntie Riza and one of the waitresses named Susan. They were playing poker with lots of chocolate coins and some truffles. Ed was about to raise with four truffles because he had a full house of three sevens and a pair of kings, when he suddenly heard the door open behind him and the telltale clank of Al's armour came, making Ed smile and look up, finding Daddy and Al standing there. "Hey, Ed, how are you?" Daddy asked, kneeling down by him, just as Rolf began yapping and ran at Al.

Ed climbed up onto his lap and Daddy hugged him tightly. "I hafta raise, Daddy," Ed said, showing him his hand. Ed wasn't about to lose eight new truffles.

Daddy chuckled. "I agree with you fully there, Ed. How much were you planning?" he asked, leaning forwards towards Ed's pile of chocolates to help.

"Four truffles. The ones with the hazelnut cream," Ed said, but then thought for a moment, because he knew that he'd get sweets anyways, so he decided to be a bit brave and add some of his second favourite ones to really bring a nice bag of chocolates back with him to the hotel. "And three of the ones with white chocolate and chocolate mousse," Ed added. He was gonna get a lot of chocolates. That would give him a total of twenty-nine truffles and forty chocolate coins. He'd be having chocolates for tomorrow too, that was for sure.

Daddy raised for him and Auntie Riza and Susan raised themselves, and soon enough, Ed had another fourteen truffles in his pile, as well as twenty chocolate coins. Auntie Riza had had three of a kind and Susan had had two pairs.

But Ed had won.

And so he giggled and grabbed one of the hazelnut cream ones, popping it into his mouth, feeling Daddy resting his chin on top of his head.

"Ed, are you ready to go back to the hotel?" Daddy asked.

Ed felt his stomach clench a bit. The hotel meant **people** and **people** wouldn't leave him alone when he asked them to. Auntie Riza had explained about Lillian's sister and how she wasn't bad and had only wanted to apologise, but it didn't change the fact that when Ed was scared and alone, **people** would **surround** him and **grab** him and **trap** him and even try to **hug** him like **Lillian** and **Grant** and they could have **needles** and wear uniforms to pretend that they were good when they were really monsters.

But Daddy also looked tired. Ed had made a lot of trouble and Daddy didn't look like they had cracked the code so that meant that they would have to go back to the library tomorrow and then Daddy really needed to sleep.

And so Ed nodded into his chest. "Are you gonna hafta go back to the library tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid so, Ed. But I've talked to your Grandma and you and Auntie Riza can stay here at the bar for as long as you need to. You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to," Daddy said kindly and kissed his forehead.

And so Ed just clung to his neck on the way back to the hotel.

* * *

Roy held Ed close as he carried him into the lobby. Al had stuffed his armour with the research documents, now sorted into smaller folders so as to be easier to transport that way. Roy found the way that the First Branch had been burnt down just a bit too suspicious for comfort, so he wanted to take the documents with them instead of leaving them back at their private room at the library.

They passed a group of chatting strangers and the effect was instantaneous. Ed whimpered and hugged Roy tighter, clinging to him with all his might as if to make it harder for anyone to pull him away from Roy. Roy put his hand at the back of his head, holding him close. "Hey, Ed, it's okay, they're not going to hurt you..." Roy said gently, kissing the top of his head.

"Wanna go to the room, Daddy," Ed whispered, curling his small fists into the fabric of Roy's shirt. Roy's uniform jacket was hanging around Ed's shoulders, having been cleaned and dried through alchemy, just like Hawkeye's uniform.

"Of course, Ed, we're going there right now. But I need to know one thing first: what pizza would you like?"

Ed froze. "Pizza? B-but it's nine in the evening?"

"Yes, which means that you had dinner five hours ago and you're going to get hungry again soon, and I haven't had anything but a sandwich since breakfast, so I feel a lot like pizza at the moment," Roy told him. He knew he was basically encouraging comfort eating in his five-year-old son, but that was only when the kid had it really rough.

Which was a lot of the time.

_Screw it, I still want my pizza._

Fact was, this day had been one of the worst they'd had and it had started the moment Ed fell in the entrance hall and had just been followed by one setback after another. They were all just having a bad day and Roy couldn't think of anything better than eating pizza in a jacuzzi with Ed on his lap, hopefully earning a smile after the kid had had such a shitty day.

"Lots of meat," Ed went quietly.

"Very well, then, Ed. Meat it is," Roy said, kissing Ed's cheek, before turning to Hawkeye. "Lieutenant, could you use the phone in the reception to order some takeaway?" Roy asked her, knowing that she knew full well the amount to buy and where to go without him saying anything. Roy then shifted his grip on Ed so that he was holding him with his left arm while digging his right hand into his coat pocket, fishing out his wallet and handing it to her.

She gave him a small smile and a nod and headed for the phone, and Roy readjusted Ed again, holding him tightly. "Let's go up to our room, boys," Roy told them, feeling Ed nod once into his shoulder.

Roy could sense Al's tension as he led Rolf on the leash on the way to the lifts. Al was obviously worried about Ed, but afraid of making things worse by asking. He suddenly paused, obviously getting an idea. "Dad? How about I go join Riza so that we can take Rolf for a walk after we've put the documents in our room?"

Roy could see his way of thinking. That way he could hear from Hawkeye just how Ed had been acting today, Rolf could get his evening walk, and Roy could get to talk properly with Ed without the boy deciding to not tell people how bad he was doing because he didn't want his little brother to know. And so Roy watched as Al went back to Hawkeye, talking to her for a couple of seconds and handing her Rolf's leash, before he came back to them. "There's a lot of people ordering pizzas today, so they say that they probably won't be ready before about forty minutes, so we're walking over to the restaurant."

"Sounds good, Al, thank you," Roy said, smiling at him.

It took them five minutes to unload the documents inside Al's armour, and then he gently tousled Ed's hair before leaving them with promises of warm pizza.

Roy then focused his attention on Ed. He was sort of amused at seeing his son wear his old clothes like this, especially when he wore Roy's uniform jacket on top.

It should almost be illegal to look so cute.

"Hey, how about we sit down in the jacuzzi, Ed? Would you like that?" Roy asked him gently.

"But I already had a bath at Grandma's?" Ed was looking up at him just slightly, still scared and near tears.

"If you want to have another one, then I think you should."

Ed looked contemplative for a second before nodding once. "Okay."

"Then let's go." Roy carried him into the bedroom so that he could find his own swimming trunks. He decided against finding Ed's too because with Ed being used to not wearing them when bathing, having him wearing them now could end up adding to Ed's tension because it wasn't the regular way of doing things. He then carried his son into the bathroom, gently putting him down on the floor before helping him out of his clothes. Ed immediately headed for the toilet and sat down, suddenly covering his eyes with both hands.

"Not peeking, Daddy, so you can change," he announced.

Roy was a bit surprised, but he appreciated it all the same, and swiftly changed into his swimming trunks, and so he soon found himself lifting Ed carefully into the jacuzzi as he sat down himself and turned on the water. Ed was sitting in the middle of the jacuzzi, his knees drawn up to his chest, looking up at Roy. Ed had said that he wanted to sit at the bottom as the water filled up around him to get used to the temperature easier. He was obviously bothered a lot by something. "I'm sorry, Daddy," he suddenly said, looking down at Roy's feet.

"What for?" He was surprised by the sudden apology. Also, he couldn't think of why Ed should apologise in the first place.

"I made things a lot more complicated and Al is probably going to hafta wait even longer to get his body back 'cos of me," Ed said quietly, sounding miserable.

_So this is why he didn't want to sit on my lap?_

Roy reached forwards, cupping Ed's small cheeks, tilting his face up slightly to look at him. Ed was near tears. "Ed, listen, none of us are blaming you for what happened and we're not holding it against you and we never will. You're not at fault for being scared, you have every reason to be."

A tear began to run down Ed's left cheek, but Roy quickly wiped it away. "I-I wanna help you, Daddy, but... but I'm so s-scared a-and now Al hates me 'cos I'm making things even more difficult for him!" A lot more tears began streaming down his cheeks.

"Why would you think that Al hates you?" Roy asked, shocked.

"'Cos he left! He didn't wanna talk to me 'cos he hates me so he's avoiding me!"

Roy immediately lifted him up on his lap, stroking his back. "Ed, there's nothing further away from the truth. Al loves you just as much as he has always done. He wanted to go with Riza so that he could hear how you had been doing today. He didn't want to ask you because he doesn't want to make you scared by telling him yourself about what happened earlier. He loves you, Ed and he's been worrying about you all day. Al has been working as hard as he can to crack the code so that we won't have to split up like this longer than necessary."

Ed began sobbing loudly into his chest and kept doing so for the next ten minutes before there came a couple of knocks on the door to their suite.

To say that Roy was alarmed was an understatement. Al and Hawkeye had a key, and it was a quarter to ten. Nobody ought to come knocking at this hour unless something was wrong. "Ed, you stay here," Roy said, grabbing his dressing gown and tying it around his waist. Ed, however, immediately climbed out of the tub and instead ran over to the cupboard under the sink and hid himself inside.

Roy knew he should try to comfort him, but if there was indeed someone who were planning to attack them in relation to either Ed or the research documents, then he shouldn't give away Ed's presence.

It still didn't change the fact that Roy walked over to the door wearing a dressing gown and his ignition gloves.

The knocking came again. "Hey, Roy? Are you and Ed in there?" came Maes's worried voice.

Roy sighed and went over to open the door, still keeping the ignition gloves on because the Roy-thing was able to change its form and voice at will. Roy therefore pulled off the ignition glove he wore on his left hand and stuffed it into his pocket to have an element of surprise should he need it, before he opened the door, finding Maes standing there, looking worried and with a paper bag in his left hand. "Hey, Roy, Gracia told me that Ed was having a bad day, how is he?"

Roy decided pretty quickly that there was no way in hell that something as cold-blooded as the thing they met in Dublith could mimic anyone this well, and especially not Maes Hughes.

Roy sighed and let him in, instantly heading for the bathroom. "Hiding in the cupboard under the sink," he explained, before opening the bathroom door, walking towards Ed's hiding place. "Ed, it's okay, it's only Uncle Maes," Roy told him softly, kneeling down in front of the double doors, gently opening them.

Ed looked up at him with scared, round eyes, then he threw himself at Roy's neck, clinging to him tightly. "Did you smell him, Daddy?" he whispered into Roy's ear, reminding Roy of that sure-fire way of recognising the Roy-thing.

Roy hadn't smelled him, but there was also no need. "There's no doubt that it's your Uncle Maes, Ed," he told him kindly.

"Can we go back into the jacuzzi then? I'm cold," Ed said quietly. He was still covered in water, so it only made sense.

"Of course, Ed, I'm sure he won't mind."

Ed clung to his neck as Roy carried him back to the jacuzzi and placed him on his feet so that he could pull off his dressing gown. Maes had been waiting outside the bathroom, obviously to give Roy some time to calm Ed down. Roy then lifted his son up again and he sat down, Ed on his lap, finding the warm water a blessing as Roy hadn't had the time to dry himself after stepping out.

"Want the bubbles, Daddy," Ed said, pressing the side of his face into Roy's chest.

And so Roy turned them on, hugging Ed tightly to him.

"Uncle Maes? You can come in now," Ed announced after a minute's silence, having calmed down considerably.

Maes walked inside the bathroom, looking just a bit surprised at finding them like that. Then he pulled a giant lollipop out of the paper bag. "Hey, Ed, I thought you might want one of these."

It turned out that Ed definitely did, and Roy could read from Maes's face that he knew very little about just what had happened, but was reluctant to ask.

"Maes, Al and Hawkeye are bringing pizzas back here in about an hour, why don't you join us?" Roy asked, giving him a silent look saying, "And I'll tell you what happened when Ed's asleep."

"We're getting pizzas with lots of meat," Ed explained.

Maes smiled at them both. "Sounds really good, Ed, I'll just call Gracia to tell her that I'll be home late."


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter fifty-eight**

"Night, Daddy," Ed told Roy sleepily, curling up on his chest, pressing his warm, soft cheek to Roy's. "Love you lots and lots."

"Not as much as I love you," Roy told him warmly, hugging him tightly.

"Not possible," Ed mumbled contentedly before his breathing evened out and the young boy fell asleep.

Roy smiled and carefully pulled the duvet over them. Maes was sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, Ed already having wished him good night before he finished with Roy. Al and Hawkeye were in the main room, Hawkeye helping to dry and polish Al's armour to make sure that it didn't rust after being outside in the rain like that for such an extended period of time. Roy wanted to help, but Ed needed to sleep and Al would never let Roy do anything other than take his little big brother to bed.

Which meant that Roy would have his conversation with Maes whilst lying in a bed with his five-year-old son on his chest and who would quite possibly interrupting their conversation by snoring.

"What happened to him, Roy?" Maes asked, concern very evident. Evident enough, in fact, for him not to take a picture of what would have otherwise been a very adorable scene.

Roy just stroked Ed's back, sighing. "We ran into Lillian's little sister at the library. Ed saw her first and so he ran."

Maes' eyes widened considerably. "He didn't run far, right? He wasn't attacked by anyone, or something like that, was he?!" he asked in horror, his Superdad X-ray eyes instantly raking over his honorary nephew's sleeping form.

"No, he ran inside, and the place was **stuffed,** Maes. He panicked and so people became more concerned and thereby came even closer and you can guess the rest of it... I found him screaming inside a transmuted box that he'd made just so that people wouldn't be able to touch him."

Maes looked near tears at that. "Dammit... No wonder he's so terrified... I guess this means that visits to Central Command are out of the question after this?"

Roy nodded. "I'm pretty sure about that part, but I really don't know how much this will affect him..."

"So you don't know how many days he'll need to spend the day at your aunt's?"

Roy looked at him, seeing that the man was brewing on some kind of idea. "What are you thinking about, Maes? It's not that we don't trust you three, but Ed just doesn't seem to work together with Elicia, so him spending the day there after this..." Roy began, expecting some sort of furious tirade about how E_licia makes friends with everyone and she loves her big brothers and they just have to find a way to make it work and then they can grow up and be childhood friends_, or something like that.

Maes, however, answered in a very surprising way. "I know how Ed isn't comfortable around Elicia, Roy. But with how Ed is now, then forcing him to be around people who make him edgy isn't going to do anything that'll help Ed like her. I want them to be friends, but I've seen the way Ed almost flinches every time my Elicia calls him her big brother. He isn't ready for anyone to claim him as their family, so that will have to wait until Ed isn't outright traumatised. I've already talked to Elicia about it, and I think she understands it to some extent. It wasn't exactly more challenging than "the bad people who hurt Ed called themselves his family, so when people call him family when he doesn't choose it, he gets scared. But because I'm his uncle and Mommy's his auntie, then he calls you his cousin." I think that helped her understand, at least slightly. Which is also why she told me to go straight here to cheer Big Brother Al and Cousin Ed up and tell him that she would be sister when he wanted to." His eyes shone a bit with admiration for his daughter, but he seemed to be barely able to repress the urge to brag and squeal out of love for Ed. "So why don't you ask for Charlie instead? Ed said that she's his friend, she's a bit like him and doesn't like lots of people, and your aunt can easily accommodate that. She isn't demanding or loud and she's the same age as Ed, and it could help him with not closing himself off from other people due to his fear. He has his family to rely on to help him, but just having a regular friend would be really good for him right now. Something that just lets him be a five-year-old kid. Sometimes child logic is a very good thing when dealing with a child."

Roy looked at him. He had to say that that sounded like a good idea, but the only problem was that inviting a kid to a playdate at a bar wasn't necessarily seen as a good thing. "I'm not sure it would work with the bar and all, though."

"From what you three told me about her parents, I think they'll let her, because they're over the moon about her making a friend. Talk to them come morning and hear what they think."

Roy looked down at his sleeping son and gently lifted a stray lock of hair away from his face, seeing that it had been on a very steady path to Ed's left nostril. He smiled, even though his stomach was clenching with fear and sorrow. "Okay, Maes, I'll talk with them tomorrow. Thank you for your help."

Maes stood up. "Anytime, Roy, anytime... Now get some sleep, you obviously need it."

* * *

_The door to his inner office was kicked open, and Roy looked up from his incredibly boring paperwork, knowing that there was only one person who made his entrance known that way._

_"Hiya, Colonel... It's been a while, huh?" Fullmetal said nonchalantly, smirking at the annoyance he was causing Roy. _

_"Sit down, Fullmetal, you were supposed to deliver that report six hours ago," Roy told him sternly. The kid had obviously deliberately delayed his appointment so as to make sure that Roy would have to stay until seven instead of half past four. Meaning that the trip to the bar to have a couple of beers with the rest of his subordinates had been cancelled. Meaning that Roy had spent two and a half hours doing paperwork instead of beginning his well-deserved weekend._

_Fullmetal just walked over to the couch instead of the visitor's chair in front of Roy's desk, not caring one bit about what he had just been ordered to do as he leaned back and placed his flesh leg over his left knee. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, but that stupid report took a lot longer to write because the cleaners thought it was trash 'cos I'd lost it on the floor and kinda accidentally crumpled it in my automail fist when I got pissed off about having to write that damn thing in the first place."_

_"Then at least give it to me now."_

_The kid threw the folder through the air so that it landed on Roy's desk perfectly. "There, can I leave now? That shit's awkward enough as it is, I don't really wanna say it out loud too."_

_Roy looked at him, frowning. "What do you mean, Fullmetal? What's wrong?"_

_The kid just glared at him. "Oh, you really have to rub it in, don't you? Just look at the report, I'm outta here..." He stood up and headed for the door._

_"Fullmetal, you are not to leave this office until I tell you that you're dismissed, and that's an order!" Roy told him sharply. He was getting worried about Fullmetal's strange behaviour. It was only a mission report, there was nothing that should illicit such a reaction because the kid was downright **embarrassed.** Roy could only think of a few things that would make him behave like that, and the first one would be to have a senior officer abuse him. It had happened once before, and that had been when Brigadier General Hillman had decided to spank him "like the child that he is". If that was what had happened here, then Roy wanted to know about it. "Now get back here and tell me just what the hell is up with you!"_

_The kid glared at him, then stomped over to Roy's desk and slammed his automail fist on the report in front of him, shoving it right up into Roy's chest. "What's up with me is that you're being a real bastard about my report like you don't even know what it is about! You asked me for it, now here it is!"_

_Roy suddenly froze. He had no idea what the report was about, or the mission he had sent Fullmetal on. All he knew was that the kid was late and Roy was angry. But how could he be angry about a report he had forgot about the contents of? Where had he sent Fullmetal? _

_"Oh, you really have to rub it in, don't you, Colonel Bastard?! Well, fine! Here's MY report! The report on ME! On what I think! The one you've been hounding me about for over two months now after I got turned into a five-year-old!"_

_Roy paused. "What do you mean, Fullmetal? You're not five." He reached for the phone on his desk, worrying that the kid must have got some sort of head injury. Maybe even a tumor for all he knew. It would explain the unusual behaviour and the delusional statement. "Lie down on the couch, I'm calling the infirmary."_

_The kid just placed his hand over Roy's, glaring at him, before turning to the door. "Hey, Al, the Colonel's being a jerk, bring Ed here, would you?"_

_"Brother! Be nice to Dad!" came Al's voice as he carried a very young-looking Fullmetal inside the office, the boy asleep in his arms._

_"Al, he's you and Ed's Dad, not mine, I disappeared before that..." Then he turned to look at Roy, pointing at the two new arrivals. "You see, Colonel? I'm five, and so now I'm here to give you your stupid report so that you'll get off my back."_

_Roy was confused, but Al's name for him did stir an awful lot of emotions he shouldn't actually have. And yet he held up his arms to take the youngest boy like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Al, please give him to me, he needs me for the nightmares."_

**_Needs me for the nightmares? What am I talking about?_**

_"Of course, Dad, here you are," Al said, handing him the sleeping child, and Roy was even more perplexed by his next set of actions. Because he suddenly began taking off his uniform jacket and placing it on the desk, before taking the small boy in his arms and gently putting his jacket around him automatically, leaning down to kiss his forehead._

_"And there you go again, being his Daddy..." Fullmetal said, clearly irritated. "And worst part is, it actually makes me happy. I'm happy for you three. I'm grateful even, because you're helping my little brother get his body back and you're giving me a second chance at the childhood I never had the first time around. You're being a great Dad to both of them, and they love you for it, so now you're making me feel awkward as hell, because I have no fucking clue about what I should say about this." Then he walked around the desk, putting a hand on his younger self's head. "So just take care of them, and thanks." He suddenly leaned forwards and placed a quick kiss on Roy's cheek with a blush._

_...Then he turned on his heel, waving with left hand and his back turned to him as he left the office. "Bye, Colonel..."_

_Roy felt a tear go down his cheek._

"Daddy? You hafta stop crying! Are you having a nightmare again? Please wake up, Daddy!" came a familiar voice, accompanied by a small pair of warm hands on his cheeks, as well as the added weight on his chest.

Roy opened his eyes to find Ed looking down at him with worry, sitting on his knees on top of his chest. "Ed?" he asked, slightly confused as he looked through the room. It was still dark outside, but the room was lit by the small lamp on the wall above one of the two nightstands. It was how it worked because when Ed was scared and could wake up to see his surroundings being safe, then that helped calm him down.

Ed looked both relieved and scared at the same time. "Were you having a nightmare, Daddy?"

Roy smiled up at him sadly, placing his large hands on top of Ed's small ones. They were soft. So very soft. And they fitted so perfectly in his own. And Roy drew strength from them. From the love of the little boy on his chest and from the love he had for him. "No, not really..." he said softly, not really knowing what to think of what he'd seen.

"Then why are you crying?"

Roy felt his chest constrict. "Because for the first time, I've _dreamt_ about the old you. And it wasn't a nightmare. It was an actual _dream..._ And the old you was happy for us... He was happy for us and he thanked me for looking after you two..."

Ed looked at him with wide eyes and Roy just drew him in for a hug, feeling that soft cheek resting against his own. "He was talking and acting just like he used to do," Roy said in a warm voice, gently stroking Ed's back.

"Oh... Then I hope you have more good dreams like that, Daddy."

* * *

"Hello, this is Audrey speaking," came the voice from the other end of the line. Roy was standing in their hotel room, Al keeping Ed company in the bedroom while Hawkeye was showering. Roy had told them that he needed to make a private phone call. He didn't want to risk disappointing Ed if Charlie wasn't up for visiting or if her parents weren't too keen on their daughter spending her day in a bar.

"Hello, Audrey, this is Roy Mustang." He didn't know if she knew other Roys, it was a fairly common name after all.

He could practically hear her bursting with excitement. "Oh, Roy! Hello! How are you four?"

"That's why I'm calling, I was wondering if Charlie would like to come visiting because Ed had a... There was an incident yesterday and Ed could really use a friend and a distraction... You know how Charlie isn't too fond of large crowds?"

Audrey gasped. "Oh my... What happened to him?" came an urgent whisper.

Roy sighed. "He had a scare while at the National Central Library, and so he ran. He was panicking over the crowds and the crowds wouldn't listen to him as he told them to get away from him... He's been extremely nervous about it happening again... And I think Charlie can relate."

"Of course... We're not busy today, we'd love to come visit you," she sounded both sad and excited.

"Well, things are a bit complicated, because me and Al have some alchemic research we're working on that are non-optional, so he's being guarded by Lieutenant Hawkeye while spending the day at my aunt's. She's also my foster mother, so she's Ed and Al's Grandma."

"Oh, we don't mind, but you sound reluctant, Roy, is there something wrong about that?"

"Well, as the parents of a young child, I figured that I should let you decide if you want to have your daughter visiting there. You see, my aunt runs a hostess bar on the ground floor while the living area is on the two floors above it. It's basically a house on top of a bar, so I understand that you might not like the idea."

There was silence at the other end of the line for a few seconds. "But the two parts of the house are kept separate, right? There aren't any customers coming up the stairs or hostesses doing... doing things with little clothes, right?" she asked cautiously.

"No, definitely not. It is a very respectable bar and the hostesses are dressed in tasteful formal wear. There is nothing dodgy or illegal about the establishment and the girls are friendly and dote on the boys like unofficial aunts even. The two parts of the building are kept separate, and the break room is the only part of the bar that is above the ground floor, but that part of the hallway can easily be closed behind the door which was put in for that same purpose. I can vouch for the safety of any guests as I grew up there myself from a young age. In all honesty, the scariest part about being there is that my aunt has a visage that has a tendency to frighten children, especially paired with her voice as she has been smoking a lot for the last few decades." Roy knew that he shouldn't leave details out about something like this. If they agreed to come, then they deserved to know everything beforehand.

There was silence again.

And then came a few silent giggles. "Is it bad that I'm really interested in seeing what she looks like?" Her voice carried a definite hint of mischievousness.

Roy smiled. "I can't fault you for it."

She giggled again. "Hang on for a bit, I'll just ask Terrence what he thinks. If you can vouch for the place after growing up there and Ed finds it to be a safe place, then I trust your judgement," she put the phone down on the nearest flat surface, before there suddenly came a lot of scrambling as it was hastily picked up again after just a few seconds. "Oh, and I forgot to ask! There is another door than the one to the bar, right?"

Roy smiled to himself. The woman was a bit scatterbrained at times. It was probably what drew her to her husband, despite the sixteen years age difference. He could tell that she found solace and peace in her husband's down to earth way of being. When she was around him, she had the same demeanour that one got when stretching out on a couch after coming back home from a long day at work. And Terrence seemed to find her as a refreshing addition to his life and found her genuinely intriguing. According to her, he liked her head. They fitted very well together and obviously loved each other dearly because they were the kind of couple that also were best friends.

Roy had also learnt that Audrey was actually the author of a children's book that had been published five months previously. She did her own illustrations and she had received high praise for "Billy the Beetle and His Extraordinary Adventure". It was why she had so much spare time as she didn't have any ongoing projects. She was waiting for another surge of inspiration for her next work, and was in the meantime looking after their daughter while Terrence earned more than enough to provide for the three of them. All in all, they were a nice, loving family that Roy wouldn't mind having as friends of the family and that Ed could grow up with Charlie.

"Yes. There is a back door that leads up the stairs to the first floor without anyone having to go inside the bar," Roy told her.

"Great! I'll be back in a minute!" Audrey said excitedly.

And so Roy stood there, waiting, knowing that this would work out, but still a bit worried that something would come up.

After a couple of minutes, the phone was picked up without the scrambling he had expected, which was quickly explained as it was Terrence who spoke. "Good morning, Roy," he said, and Roy could hear that he was smiling which was definitely a good sign.

"Good morning, Terrence. I hope that it's okay with you to have your daughter spend the day at my aunt's?"

"Well, usually I would have said no, but as it is a building that was actually made to fit having young children living there, I don't mind it much. If I could speak to your Aunt first, though, that would be appreciated?"

"Of course, I'll give you the number," Roy told him, only having expected him to ask.

"Then I have a pen and paper right here," he said.

And so Roy gave him the number before asking him to wait for a second, because he had yet to ask Ed if he was okay with it, now that Charlie's parents approved of her going with him.

He knocked on the bedroom door and looked inside to find Ed sitting on the floor with Al, playing with some wooden sheep. "Daddy?"

"Hey, Ed, how would you like it if Charlie came with you to Grandma's today?"

Ed looked up at him in surprise. "Charlie's coming?"

Roy nodded. "Yes, Audrey and Terrence thought it was a good idea, so if you'd like it, she can join you."

Ed looked thoughtful, but then he nodded and smiled. "Yeah! Thanks, Daddy! And Audrey's coming too, right? 'Cos Auntie Riza's gonna need company and Charlie needs her if something happens and she gets sad."

Roy couldn't help walking over and picking Ed up to hug him, holding him in his arms as Ed used them as a kind of chair.

The boy was just too _**Ed...**_ Even after everything, the boy was selfless and kind and took care of those around him. And as his Dad, it made Roy very proud. "Of course, Ed." Then Roy kissed his cheek and then went over to Al and kissed the top of his helmet too, not caring about the way that it was hard metal. It hurt to think that Al couldn't feel it, but his son was actually happy that Roy didn't treat him like he wasn't human. That Roy showed him affection, even if he couldn't physically feel it. "I'm so proud of you two."

Ed hugged him around the most easily available arm. "We're proud of you too, Daddy."

"Mhm, we are," Al added before Roy could say anything.

"Boys, that really isn't necessary..." Roy said, feeling very awkward at the way his affection was being thrown back at him when he really didn't deserve his sons to be proud at all.

"We're proud of you, Daddy, 'cos you're awesome!" Ed said. "Now the phone's waiting for you, so you hafta finish talking with them 'cos it's rude to make them wait."

Al may be physically unable to raise his eyebrows expectantly at Roy, but his voice made it very clear that he would have been had he had his body. "He's right, Dad. About both things, so talk to them while I fix things up in here. And tell them I said hi!" he said cheerfully, pulling out a piece of chalk to transmute the wooden floor back to normal by transmuting the toys back into it.

Roy sighed, both with affection and the fact that he knew he couldn't convince them about his guilt. "...I love you, boys," he said instead.

"We love you too, Dad," Al said like it was a given, just as Ed squeezed his arm tighter.

"Love you REALLY much!"

Roy chuckled and lifted Ed higher up on his arm, taking just a couple of extra seconds to look at those wonderful sons of his. "Well, in that case, I love you two REALLY REALLY REALLY much."

...And so he pretended not to hear the snort of laughter coming from the newly opened bathroom door behind him.

* * *

**And so once again I beg for reviews as they help inspire me! **

**But no flames as it's rather counterproductive ;)**


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